The New York Knicks entered the All-Star break with the worst record in the NBA and are likely en route to their worst season in franchise history.
Carmelo Anthony was asked Thursday how quickly he thinks things will turn around in New York.
"The fate is in the front office now," Anthony said in an interview with the ESPN NBA Radio crew.
To be clear, it sounded as if Anthony were simply stating a fact -- not putting the pressure on Phil Jackson. But it's also clear Carmelo knows his future -- and the future of the Knicks -- rests on what Phil and the front office can do this summer and next.
"As players, the only thing we can do is go out and try to compete on a nightly basis and try to get wins and try to get better. But I think the onus is on the front office, and they've got a task ahead of them to start building for now and for the future," Anthony told told Marc Stein, Marc Kestecher and P.J. Carlesimo in an interview on ESPN Radio.
The Knicks are expected to have upwards of $30 million in cap space to lure free agents this summer. They will also have a high first-round draft pick.
Phil Jackson has hinted that he is more likely to pursue second-tier free agents over max players. That second-tier group would include -- but is not limited to -- players such as Greg Monroe, Goran Dragic, Reggie Jackson and Wesley Matthews.
Any player the Knicks go after should expect to get a call from Anthony.
"I don't really have a problem with that," he said of recruiting free agents. "But I'll be coming more from a standpoint of a player than what Phil and them guys will be coming in [with]. I can relate to these guys. I compete against them. I know what it takes to play in New York. I know who can handle New York and who can't handle New York.
"So for me, it's just coming more from a brother to brother and just having that real conversation with you and laying it all out on the table. And if you accept it, you accept it. If not, you don't, and we move on to the next person. But as far as I'm concerned, it's just me being 100 percent honest. If I'm coming to you, that means I really want you to come over here and join forces with me because this is out of character for me. I'm not used to doing this type of stuff. So if I'm coming to you, that means I really mean it."
Anthony touched on a few other topics in his interview with ESPN Radio:
On if any of the Knicks' young players are keepers: "Tim Hardaway Jr. is a guy who has a lot of potential. He's young, he's athletic, he can shoot the ball. He has a lot of upside to him. It's kind of hard to say with the other guys on the team because ain't no telling what's going to happen."
On how often he sees Phil Jackson: "I see Phil in practice. He comes in to practice, he sits in on practice. We're going over our offense and just the system, he gives his two cents. He gives us what he sees from behind the scenes. He watches every game. I think he watches a little too [many] games [laughs]. He just, he comes in and he breaks everything down to you, and he makes it seem like it's so simple and so easy, and you're like, 'Phil, it's really not that simple and that easy [laughs].' But just to have that on your sideline and to have that in your front office and to know that his door is open at anytime -- I can go talk to him, he can talk to me. So that was big for me just to be able to have that open dialogue with him."
The full interview with Anthony airs at 5:30 p.m. ET Saturday on ESPN Radio as part of the "Meet the All-Stars" show.