In spite of a new regime in the front office, Carmelo Anthony still wants to be traded out of New York, according to league sources.  ESPN reported on Tuesday that Carmelo Anthony has stood firm on his request to be traded to the Houston Rockets. This comes days after the Knicks’ first press conference introducing Steve Mills as President of Basketball operations and Scott Perry as the new General Manager. Mills was asked during the press conference about the state of affairs in regards to Anthony. He stated, “We’re going to move forward so maybe with Carmelo or without Carmelo.” He added that the Knicks were not planning to buy him out of his contract and that focus would primarily be on developing their young talent going forward.

It’s apparent that Carmelo’s frustration with the franchise has reached a boiling point. His decision is clear, he doesn’t want to play for the Knicks anymore. At the root of it he still wants to win a ring and he hopes to gain one alongside Chris Paul and James Harden in Houston. This move would of course leave the Knicks lacking a scoring presence as well as a veteran leader. It seems as if the organization is more than willing to take that gamble.

With the West becoming more and more powerful, perhaps the rebuilding route is the best option for the franchise that is currently slated to finish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. If a trade for Anthony goes through the Knicks should not waste any time acquiring another experienced veteran to be a guiding voice in the locker room. The verdict isn’t out on Derrick Rose or any other veteran left in the free-agency. The real question is, who can the Knicks afford to bring in that would be a good fit for the new direction the organization is heading in. Regardless, in light of the situation surrounding Carmelo Anthony, maybe the best thing the Knicks can do is continue to hope and plan for the future. New York fans will have to patiently await a new era in the Big Apple.