According to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, the New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets will both finally sit down with Carmelo Anthony. As the league converges on Los Angeles for All-Star weekend, Knicks owner James Dolan and Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov will each have a chance to pitch their clubs to the most coveted star in the market. For the Knicks, Dolan is the only guaranteed presence in the report, but the actual New York front office will likely join in the meeting:
Knicks president Donnie Walsh wouldn’t say last week if he was heading to Los Angeles, but it’s a good bet that when the eccentric Dolan does meet with Anthony, O’Neil and assistant general manager Allan Houston will be by his side.
With next Thursday’s trade deadline looming, it’s finally getting time for the rumors to give way to some sort of actual basketball transaction. For the numerous teams affected, their fans, and probably Melo himself, whatever takes place should be something of a relief. If a trade happens, the story will be behind us at long last. If no deal is made, the best everyone can hope for is a momentary respite from the distraction.