NBA Rumors: Carmelo Anthony won't return to the New York Knicks as a free agent 

What's the rumor?

The 2019-20 NBA season is quickly approaching and Carmelo Anthony remains without a team. The 10-time All-Star hasn't played since departing the Houston Rockets back in November and Anthony has attracted little interest in free agency.

Nevertheless, some analysts have speculated that Anthony could make a return to New York after two seasons away from the franchise, although SNY is reporting that the Knicks have no plans to bring the veteran back:

As SNY reported in June, the Knicks may have had interest in a reunion with Anthony if they had a roster with multiple stars, such as Durant and Irving, ready to win immediately.

That didn't come to fruition, as Durant and Irving signed with Brooklyn. So New York didn't have significant interest in bringing Anthony back during free agency.

In case you didn't know...

When Anthony left the Knicks back in 2017, he was still widely considered as one of the NBA's best players. However, Melo's move to the Oklahoma City Thunder was underwhelming and he found himself traded to Atlanta after just one season there.

Melo subsequently agreed a buyout with the Hawks and headed to the Houston Rockets on a minimum deal. Nevertheless despite his willingness to feature from the bench, Anthony was released after making just ten appearances for Mike D'Antoni's team.

The heart of the matter

The Knicks failed to land their primary targets in free agency, and are coming off a season where they finished with the NBA's worst record.

Due to this, bringing back an ageing Anthony makes little sense, and the former All-Star's hopes of returning to New York depend on his proposed move to the Nets.

What's next?

The Knicks will start their 2019-20 season on the road, as they travel to San Antonio where they face the Spurs on October 23.