Carmelo Anthony Says Iman Shumpert is Part of the Knicks’ Future


Iman Shumpert committed a bone-headed foul on Paul George late in the fourth quarter last night, which likely cost the Knicks the game. Still, even with trade rumors flying, Carmelo Anthony hopes Shumpert doesn’t leave Gotham anytime soon. Per the NY Post: “I think he is [part of the future],’ Anthony said. ‘I hope so. We have a lot of expectations with Iman, especially the way he played tonight. That’s the Iman we need him to be [defensively]. He could take it in a good way. I hope he doesn’t think about it.’ The Knicks’ talks with other teams about Shumpert may not lead to anything until after the traditional Dec. 15 deadline when last summer’s free agents and first-round picks can be traded. For instance, a Shumpert trade probably would need to be on a large scale. The Knicks can’t deal Beno Udrih, Tim Hardaway Jr., Metta World Peace until Dec. 15. One person familiar with the situation said the talks were ‘exploratory.'”