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Carmelo Anthony Reportedly Unhappy with Knicks' 2015 NBA Draft Selections
New York Knicks fans inside the Barclays Center voiced their displeasure after the team used the fourth overall selection in Thursday's draft on Kristaps Porzingis. Apparently, superstar forward Carmelo Anthony wasn't pleased with how team president Phil Jackson handled the night either.
Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports Anthony called Tim Hardaway Jr., whom the Knicks traded to the Atlanta Hawks, to explain his unhappiness. The veteran isn't pleased with the pace of the team's rebuild, which likely won't be accelerated by Porzingis:
Frank Isola@FisolaNYDN
Carmelo feels Phil needs to make moves that can help immediately. "He said, 'we have to wait three years for this guy?'" Knick source claims
12:04 PM - 26 Jun 2015
Anthony played in just 40 games last season due to injuries and is currently working his way back from knee surgery. As he frequented the sideline, the Knicks finished with the second-worst record in the NBA, but poor lottery luck dropped them to fourth in the final draft order.
Porzingis is an intriguing talent, but how quickly he will make a major impact—the type you expect from a top-five selection—is very much a mystery. He sports the size of a center (7'1") with the movement of a small forward, but he must add more power to his frame and needs work in the low post.
Reporters asked Jackson about the thought process in terms of how Anthony would respond, and Al Iannazzone of Newsday provided the answer:
Al Iannazzone
Phil was asked if he thought about Carmelo when picking KP. He said. "Carmelo's always on my mind. He's our favorite son."
11:18 AM - 26 Jun 2015
The Knicks did acquire Jerian Grant, a point guard out of Notre Dame, in the Hardaway trade. He's more of a ready-made prospect coming out of the college ranks but isn't the type of talent that's going to significantly alter the team's outlook for next season.
Anthony is now 31 and evidently is hoping New York accelerates its rebuild to become more competitive while he's still in his prime. Jackson, who previously discussed the belief he deserved votes for Executive of the Year, is clearly staying the course based on his moves Thursday.
Whether the apparent displeasure is going to cause a massive disconnect between the front office and the team's star player is unknown. But Anthony is under contract for three more years before an early-termination option comes into play, according to Spotrac.
At the very least, it seems evident Jackson and Anthony don't see eye to eye on the rebuild.
