NBA Trade Deadline 2012: NY Knicks Must Continue Rebuild with Carmelo Anthony

The New York Knicks made their Carmelo Anthony bed, and now they must lie in it. 

The franchise that is craving a title now more than ever is one head coach short of a title contender. They need a man that can build around this strong core and get the most from its superstars. 

This all starts with keeping Carmelo Anthony. 

Earlier in the week, Marc Berman of The New York Post reported Carmelo Anthony intimated that he wanted to be traded before the deadline Thursday. 

"

Carmelo Anthony’s discontent with the Knicks organization became so severe after Monday night’s loss to the Bulls, he told a confidant he preferred to be traded before Thursday’s NBA deadline, The Post has learned.

"

The fallout has been tremendous and has lead Anthony to report that he is in no way looking to be traded from his home.

"

Alright, enough with all this trade talk. It's making me sick to my stomach to hear that I wanna leave NY.

— Carmelo Anthony (@carmeloanthony) March 14, 2012"

To exacerbate an already tumultuous situation, head coach Mike D'Antoni stepped down as head coach of the reeling team. 

The Knicks are going nowhere, at least not this year. 

What remains is a future that has to include Carmelo Anthony. The franchise sold their souls to get him to New York, and now it's time to sit back and hope that the superstar is indeed the answer and player you can build around. 

The Knicks swung and missed on a big three that could contend, and it was abundantly clear that the status quo was far from satisfactory. 

First, the Knicks need to realize that every title team has a superstar that can carry a team through a series and hit the last shot, a clutch performer that wants to win above all else. Players like Carmelo Anthony are rare. 

The next step would be to bring in a head coach that has the respect and attention of the team. This team wasn't missing stars, but direction. 

Melo can still deliver the Knicks a winning season, and only needs patience from a tired fanbase. 

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