Could the Knicks be stuck with Carmelo Anthony past the trade deadline?

Unless team president Phil Jackson is willing to move the scoring machine for pennies on the dollar, it's a real possibility.

That thought comes from Yahoo's Bobby Marks, a former Nets executive with 20 years of NBA front office experience. In a trade deadline primer on the Knicks, Marks explained why it's going to be difficult for the Knicks to move Anthony.

One would think that former All-Star Carmelo Anthony has the most trade value.
However, trading Anthony, who has a no-trade clause, is a serious challenge.
As the trade deadline approaches, the Knicks need to figure out whether the pool of teams Anthony would consider would grow in the offseason.
There will likely be a team that falls short of its championship expectations that might view Anthony as the missing piece.

The reasons Marks used to back-up his reasoning: High salary, no-trade clause, trade kicker and an opt-out in Anthony's deal that could complicate the future for any team acquiring him.

Carmelo rumors

It feels hard to imagine the Knicks simply bringing Anthony back after the Feb. 23 trade deadline, but it might be the most prudent move for the franchise.

Heading into play on Feb. 14, the Knicks sat at 23-33 and in 12th place in the Eastern Conference playoff standings. Three games separated New York from the eighth and final playoff seed.

Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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