If you ask me this really isn’t new news, but the fact that Melo is being so blunt about it might have Knicks fans stressing! Carmelo has made it no secret he plans to explore free agency and is even excited about it. Can you blame him though? The same team that had a very good season last year and had so much potential entering this season has completely bottomed out. You can sense the air has been sucked out of MSG every time the Knicks play at home. The team is going nowhere fast and everyone involved with the team is on high alert. Unfortunately we can not get rid of our owner who has proven he has no brain when it comes to basketball, so the effect trickles down to everyone else. Today he was on ESPN while down in New Orleans for the All-Star game and the topic of his impending free agency came up again. Hit the jump to see what he said.

@IamJoeSports

While being interviewed on SportsCenter Melo made some very matter of fact comments regarding his free agency.

“I want a championship. If I have to become a free agent to do that, then that’s what I have to do. It’s not about money. I’ve made plenty of money, enough that I could retire right now.”

He damn sure ain’t lying about that. He could live off of the money he has already earned and never worry for one day about finances. If you were him, would you really be focused on re-signing with the Knicks the way this season is going. Not too mention even though he doesn’t need the money, if he was to re-sign early he would be giving up about $30 million dollars that they would have to pay him if he becomes a free agent first and then re-signs. He is not as young as he once was and players start to feel that championship slipping away with every year that passes. It is very realistic at this point to see him signing somewhere else over the summer, which is why the Knicks should have in the back of their mind possible trade scenarios before the trade deadline next week. Hopefully his level of talent can work for New York and will attract other talented players to want to join him in the big apple instead of him putting us in the rear view. In my opinion the Knicks MUST made some type of deal before next weeks trade deadline to acquire better talent and show him they are serious about putting a better team around him.