When Carmelo Anthony was traded to the Knicks in 2011, the fan base was reinvigorated with a passion for the franchise not seen since the 90s. However, six years, five head coaches, three general managers, two first round exits, and one max contract later, that passion has faded. Carmelo Anthony was advertised as the savior for the Knicks. A player with the star power to make the Knicks a force to be reckoned with in the East, but that never happened. And at 32 years old, Melo may have his best years behind him. With the team on the rise with young talent and added depth, now may be a better time than ever to finally trade Carmelo Anthony.

Rumors had been running rampant throughout the week that the Knicks had been exploring options to trade the all-star forward, but had struggled to find any teams in the market for him. The Cavaliers have already said they are not interested, which comes as a bit of a surprise considering that LeBron has expressed his desire for a playmaker recently. The Clippers, where Melo would be a great fit with his friend Chris Paul and a team desperate to get over the second round hump in a Western Conference that isn’t getting any easier, have said they do not intend on breaking up their big 3 of Paul, Jordan, and Griffin to make the deal happen. While it seems hard to believe the Knicks would sell a top ten superstar still in his prime, it may be their only option for the good of the team.

The Knicks need more power in the frontcourt to compliment Porzingis, a pure point guard to spread the offense, and draft picks to get younger. At least two of those pieces have to come from this trade, and another be found in free agency. While the options are thin, it is still doable, and since the Knicks are the ones with the superstar, they are in the driver’s seat. The main reason this deal must happen is because of Kristaps Porzingis. The young phenom is being held back because of Carmelo Anthony’s style of offense. He is clearly the future of the team, and players like him are already taking over the league making people rethink the way they look at big men. The Knicks should do the same, and trade Carmelo Anthony to cement Porzingis as the future of the franchise.