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3 gifts Knicks should give Carmelo on his birthday

Derick E. Hingle / USA TODAY Sports

What do you get the man who seemingly has it all for his birthday?

It's time to raise the roof and get the party started, because Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks is turning 32 today. He's a recognizable NBA superstar playing in one of the largest markets in the country, makes an insane amount of money, and gets to play the sport he loves in the area in which he grew up.

Not too shabby.

What doesn't he have? Well, an NBA championship for starters. A trip to the NBA Finals alone would suffice at this point. Perhaps even a postseason berth for his Knicks would quench his thirst.

Alright, so he doesn't have everything.

If the franchise cares to celebrate Anthony's birth date, here's three things they could get him that would go over better than a pair of socks, a malfunctioning watch, or a nice pair of slacks.

A new point guard

Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Kyrie Irving, Kyle Lowry ...

Jose Calderon.

The NBA is a point guard-driven league, and unless you're getting All-Star contributions from the position, chances are you're not going to get very far.

Calderon started in all 72 of his appearances for the Knicks this past season, acting as a steady hand who had the basics of shooting and facilitating down pat, but never exactly set the world on fire with his play.

He's better suited coming off the bench, but then again, placing Langston Galloway - who works his tail off but has little in the way of a consistent shot - into the starting lineup probably won't cut it either.

Mark Jackson and Walt Frazier aren't waiting around the corner, unfortunately.

A trade out of town

Asking your team president to waive the no-trade clause on your contract is the gift that keeps on giving.

Thank goodness Anthony has never been exposed to gamma rays, because only a man with his level of patience could bite his tongue, keep his cool, and not publicly demand a trade from the circus that is the Knicks.

Look, New York has put its faith in the former league scoring champion over the years, and Anthony has returned the favor by remaining committed to turning the team around.

Every player with the goal of winning a championship has his limits, though. With the Knicks nowhere near ready to contend for a title, it's fair to question how much longer Anthony will willingly stick around to suit up for a team that would need a highly prosperous offseason to even warrant a second thought in the East.

A brand spankin' new offense

If Phil Jackson is so gung-ho on his team continuing to implement the triangle offense, then hiring Jeff Hornacek as his new head coach is a really bizarre move to make.

Fortunately for Anthony and the rest of his Knicks teammates, there appears to be some leeway in allowing a new offensive philosophy, considering Hornacek's history of utilizing a run-and-gun style during his days on the sidelines for the Phoenix Suns.

The triangle was a proven commodity when Jackson was leading the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers to multiple championships. Not so much in The Big Apple, though.

Sure, Anthony didn't have a say in Hornacek's hire, and that may turn out to be the death blow to his stint with the Knicks if they can't hit it off in their first season working together. His arrival still brings a level of optimism, and maybe one of the few glimmers of hope left that New York is ready to make that leap in the standings.

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