Carmelo Anthony Says Knicks Had Chance At Dwyane Wade

By Kenneth Teape | Jul 22, 2016

Jul 21, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; USA forward Carmelo Anthony (15) is seen before practice at Mendenhall Center. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Dahl-USA TODAY Sports /

Carmelo Anthony said that the New York Knicks definitely had a shot to sign Dwyane Wade, and had timing been different he would have likely landed in the Big Apple.

Carmelo Anthony has been vocal in recent days on a number of different subjects. On social media he has spoken out against recent violence in the country, which resulted in a speech at the ESPY’s last week. While in training camp for Team USA in preparation for the Olympics, Anthony also discussed how he felt about the new look New York Knicks for the upcoming season.

Anthony was very excited when discussing his new teammates, as he believes they have something special brewing on paper. Anthony will have a new cast of veteran teammates around him, as Phil Jackson swung a trade for Derrick Rose and Justin Holiday prior to the NBA Draft, and then signed Joakim Noah, Courtney Lee and Brandon Jennings with a majority of the Knicks’ available cap space.

While Anthony likes the moves that the front office has made, there is a chance none of that could have happened. Had Dwyane Wade made it clear he was serious about leaving the Miami Heat earlier in the free agent process, Anthony believes that there was definitely a chance for the Knicks to land the future hall of fame shooting guard.

“There was a chance. There was definitely a chance,” Anthony said about the possibility of the Knicks signing Wade. The Knicks and Wade did have discussions about a potential deal, but the Knicks opted instead to spread their cap space out among multiple players instead of just one.

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“We would have had to pull something out the … a rabbit out the hat in the 25th hour,” Anthony said of the Knicks’ pursuit of Wade. “There was a chance. I think if it was maybe two days earlier we probably would have had D-Wade.”

Anthony and Wade are good friends off the court, and were probably talking throughout free agency. Adding Wade to the backcourt to fill the hole at shooting guard would have energized the fan base, but ultimately it was not in the cards as the timing was just not right.

While some fans may be disappointed to hear just how close they were to landing Wade, Jackson has done a great job filling out the roster for this upcoming season. The Knicks have a well rounded starting lineup and a second unit that should mesh well.

The new players are already spending time together working out and playing building chemistry, including Rose with Kristaps Porzingis and Sasha Vujacic. Rose is excited about what lies ahead this season with the Knicks.

“I just love the group,” Rose said in an interview with Slam Magazine. “I think everybody is on the same page. I love the culture that Phil [Jackson] is creating. Just the organization, the franchise. Just everybody that works for them. They seem like they’re very excited, their spirits are up. I think we have a chance to win every game. In the league, that’s rare.”j

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There is a lot of optimism surrounding the Knicks currently, as their superstar in Anthony is happy with the moves and the other players are ready to prove their doubters wrong as well. The Knicks have a number of players on the roster that have chips on their shoulder and something to prove, which they will use as motivation during the season.

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