Stephen A Smith: Melo is 100% leaving Knicks

[niko]

Every valid leak is for a reason. If he's just leaving, why announce now? So to me, if SAS has real sources the leak is meant to spur the knicks to make moves.

[Sarcastic]

If you wanna hear the podcast:

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/newyork/play?id=10079496

Around the 12:00 minute part is when he starts talking about the Knicks and Melo, and about 14:00 is when he says he's out.

[grantz]

It's steve smith. Who even listens to this guy. Who cares what he says.

[DStebb716]

If Melo TRULY feels that way, then he needs to tell the team that. Let them move him for something at the deadline and be done with it. Give me a fringe-playoff team's first rounder and head on your way. Then attach Shump to Amar'e's contract and look at all that cap space!

[DStebb716]

Every valid leak is for a reason. If he's just leaving, why announce now? So to me, if SAS has real sources the leak is meant to spur the knicks to make moves.

A lot of these leaks are intentional and in self-interest. There were rumblings that Bron's camp leaked the news about Wade and Bosh joining forces in Miami early so Bron could have decision day to himself.

[NuggetsFan]

I don't know why he'd tell anybody. If he's leaving he can just walk. With Denver it was different because he needed them to sign him to an extension and with the CBA coming up he helped them get something while getting his.

In this situation I don't see any angle for Melo. Seems like the media stirring the pot because there isn't a unhappy superstar they can speculate on. NY sucks right now, therefore Melo is who they'll use to get hits.

[TheReal Kendall]

To me Melo has to leave cause the Knicks FO aren't thinking Championship.

Melo is getting older and he wants to retire with a couple of rings.

He doesn't want to be the "Barkley" of this Era.

It makes sense for him to leave unless Knicks make some trade to be contenders.

[DStebb716]

Fact is that no star will come to the Knicks by choice as long as Dolan is making the decisions. Not anymore. Not after what he's done to this once (forty years ago) proud franchise.

[ispin69]

Ring Chaser

[outbreak]

To me Melo has to leave cause the Knicks FO aren't thinking Championship.

Melo is getting older and he wants to retire with a couple of rings.

He doesn't want to be the "Barkley" of this Era.

It makes sense for him to leave unless Knicks make some trade to be contenders.

The funny thing is the knicks are thinking championship. Their front office made it known to players they expected this roster to be a championship team and people were being chewed out for losing with what they thought was a well built team

[Mr. Incredible]

why would he stay?

[ZMonkey11]

Does Detroit have the capspace to sign Melo? It seems like they are a few scorers away from being real contenders as long as they keep Drummond and Monroe together.

Thanks but no thanks.

[Legends66NBA7]

Fact is that no star will come to the Knicks by choice as long as Dolan is making the decisions. Not anymore. Not after what he's done to this once (forty years ago) proud franchise.

How many star free agents have signed or have being acquired from trade to the Knicks before Dolan took over for them ?

[Nash]

2 questions:
- why would melo tell SAS?
- why would SAS say something is 100% when it isnt? He's not an up and coming journalist, dude has one of the most popular sports shows on tv.

[Lebron23]

To me Melo has to leave cause the Knicks FO aren't thinking Championship.

Melo is getting older and he wants to retire with a couple of rings.

He doesn't want to be the "Barkley" of this Era.

It makes sense for him to leave unless Knicks make some trade to be contenders.

Stop comparing him to Barkley. Charles is a better playoffs performer than this fat, lazy chucker.

Melo would never win an NBA championship ring as the no.1 or even no.2 scoring option of his team.