Last weekend, Carmelo Anthony re-signed with the Knicks, but only after experiencing free agency for the first time in his career.
Nevertheless, the organization never seriously feared losing Anthony.
“Carmelo was going to take advantage of the process of being recruited,” Knicks general manager Steve Mills said on the MSG Network Thursday night, as the Knicks defeated the D-League Select team 80-73 to move into the quarterfinals of the Las Vegas Summer League tournament.
After flying around the country to meet with prospective teams, Anthony did not make a decision as the week dragged on, leading to speculation he was seriously considering leaving New York, but Mills said the Knicks weren’t worried.
“He was in communication with us throughout the whole process, so while we knew he was going to look at all of his options, we always felt comfortable that he would remain a Knick,” he said.
Anthony re-signed for five years and $124 million — $5 million less than the maximum contract.
The Knicks are hoping the slight savings will help them next summer, when they are poised to have at least $20 million in cap space.
“I think [the savings] will make a difference,” Mills said. “I think he understood what the sacrifice meant to try and help us build a better team, and [we’re] excited that he was willing to do it.”
As for this summer, Mills said the team still had some work to do.
“We’re trying to build a roster that has a little bit better balance than it looks right now,” he said. “We’re a little too heavy at the 2-guard right now. We need to have a good group of bigs who are flexible, guys who can play the 4 or 5, guys who can stretch the floor a little bit and who can pass.
“That’s going to be an important component of what we try to do as Coach [Derek] Fisher builds his team and a style of play.”