Report: Melo refusing to let Jackson run him out of town
Phil Jackson's passive-aggressive attempts at running Carmelo Anthony out of the Big Apple are strengthening the 32-year-old's desire to remain with the New York Knicks, league sources tell The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Anthony has told teammates that he refuses to let Jackson force him into waiving his no-trade clause, and a source told Wojnarowski that Jackson is misjudging "Melo's willingness to stay."
Jackson appeared to take another public shot at Anthony on Tuesday when he agreed with an article by Bleacher Report's Kevin Ding that questioned Melo's desire to win. It's not that first time the Knicks president has been critical of Melo this season, as he also complained about his star forward's selfish play in December.
Jackson has yet to sit down with Anthony and his representatives and notify them of his preference to trade the nine-time All-Star, according to Wojnarowski, opting to publicly fire shots at Melo instead.
The Knicks have reportedly contacted three teams to gauge their interest in Melo, but have yet to find a deal that works for both sides.
Anthony is averaging 22.9 points, six rebounds, and 2.9 assists on 43.5 percent shooting in 52 games this season.