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Carmelo Anthony update: Knicks interested in reuniting with their former All-Star in free agency, according to the report

Carmelo Anthony has spent much of his career as a member of the New York Knicks and the organization is interested in bringing the veteran back forward. Anthony has been on Leon Rose’s radar ever since he became president of the team earlier this year, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Anthony and Rose have a history as Anthony was one of Rose’s best clients when he was an agent. Most recently, Rose helped Anthony land with the Portland Trail Blazers late last year.

From Berman:

According to sources, Anthony has been on Rose’s radar since taking office in early March. Rose is Anthony’s former primary client at Creative Artists Agency. Other connections include Anthony lobbying for Thibodeau to become Knicks coach in 2014 and newly hired assistant Woodson convincing Anthony to play his best two-way ball in the 2012-13 season.

It also makes sense because the Knicks don’t have a clear starting forward. The Knicks also need a winger after Julius Randle regressed from last season’s depth.

Anthony will be a free agent this offfseason, and while the Knicks may be interested in Anthony, that interest isn’t necessarily mutual. After the Portland Trail Blazers were knocked out by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the postseason, Anthony made it abundantly clear that he would like to return to Portland next season, as he feels he has found a home there.

“I pray it can be Portland,” Anthony said of his NBA future, via The Athletic. “Honestly, thank God I found a home in Portland. I felt comfortable with the organization. I felt comfortable with the guys on the team. They felt comfortable with me … At this point of my career, I think it’s the best suits me, the best situation. Especially having this experience now and I’m just getting my feet wet, coming in and being who I am and staying true to myself. I really hope it can be Portland at the end of the day where we give ourselves the opportunity to keep this team together, get the boys healthy and do another race.

“Whenever you find a situation that is comfortable and allows you to be who you are, you want to stay in that situation,” added Anthony. “You don’t have to try different things when something works.”

Anthony said he will always appreciate the Blazers as an organization for giving it a chance last year when other organizations were unwilling to do so. Anthony was out of the NBA for over a year when the Blazers signed him, and he said he gained a new appreciation for the game during that time.

“Being able to have another chance at this game – Portland if you mean ‘revive’ is the word – allowed me to come in and be who I am,” Anthony said. “So I will always appreciate it. Being in this team, I learned a lot. Being out of the game for a year, then coming back and having a different perspective on things, a different appreciation, but also a different energy. That vacation period forced me to tap into something else, to dig deep into the well, from a mental point of view “.

Anthony’s Blazers teammates would also like to see him stay in Portland.

“We are grateful to have him,” Blazers guard CJ McCollum said of Anthony. “I hope he can come back next year, but once again he is above my pay grade. If it were up to me, I would like to play with him for the rest of his career, but I believe that is to be determined.”

At the end of the day, Anthony’s NBA future will likely be determined by money. Anthony has signed with the Blazers for the low this season. If he’s willing to accept it again, or nearly so, Portland will likely welcome him again with open arms. However, if Anthony is looking for a larger pay day, he may have to look elsewhere. At that point, the Knicks could potentially rush in and try to lure their former All-Star to New York.

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