New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony has been the subject of trade rumors throughout the NBA offseason, so it might not be surprising to a season-ticket advertisement without the veteran.
Never miss a moment with a 2017-18 Full Season Plan, now on sale at https://t.co/fn85V5Hfi8. #Knicks #NewYorkForever pic.twitter.com/47UwJPRpDf
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) August 25, 2017
Rookie point guard Frank Ntilikina, franchise cornerstone Kristaps Porzingis and second-year center Willy Hernangomez were instead featured on the promotion.
Was it purposeful? Maybe. Was it unintentional? Perhaps. Is it funny anyway? You bet.
Anthony, who most often was linked to the Houston Rockets, is still a member of the Knicks. However, talks between the franchises are “fairly dormant” right now. It seems Anthony will be staying in the Big Apple — at least for the beginning of the 2017-18 NBA season.
Since being acquired from the Denver Nuggets via trade in 2011, Anthony has played the starring role for New York. The small forward has paced the Knicks in scoring every year he’s been on the roster.
Now that Porzingis has the look of a rising superstar, though, Anthony has become somewhat expendable. He’s a valuable scorer but isn’t a much of a defender or passer. And right now, he’s not sharing a place with Porzingis on the ticket promo, either.
Perhaps the Knicks knowingly left off Anthony to avoid criticism later if he actually does get traded before the season. Or, maybe New York wanted to showcase its promising young talent.
Either way, it’s a humorous aside to a relatively pivotal time for the franchise. Anthony certainly isn’t the future of the Knicks — that moment has passed — but he’s absolutely not a throwaway piece.
Depending on how the final month of the offseason progresses, Anthony might return to a rightful spot on the advertisement. Or, he might be a featured player in a new team’s promotions.