Carmelo Anthony is the key to New York Knicks recruiting free agents

Although the New York Knicks had a busy summer, the most important move they made was re-signing star forward Carmelo Anthony to a five-year deal.

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According to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, getting Anthony to stay was the key to recruiting free agents in the future.

"Re-signing Carmelo Anthony was an important move for the Knicks because it’s very hard to recruit other stars without that first marquee piece in place. Even if New York can’t turn into a contender this year, Phil Jackson and Anthony will be able to recruit some quality free agents next summer and will have significant cap space to work with. It’ll be interesting to see how Derek Fisher makes the jump from playing to coaching. The fact that he has a close relationship with Jackson and they’ll be on the same page is good for the organization. This will be an interesting year for the Knicks, but I’m really curious to see what they can do next offseason when Jackson will be able to work his magic with cap space."

Amar’e Stoudemire and Andrea Bargnani come off of the books following the season and the Knicks are reportedly eyeing several free agents in 2015. Top targets for the Knicks could include Memphis Grizzlies’ center Marc Gasol, Detroit Pistons’ big man Greg Monroe and Phoenix Suns’ guard Eric Bledsoe (if he signs his qualifying offer).

Anthony put up 27.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game and shot 45.2% from the field, 40.2% from beyond the arc and 84.8% from the free throw line last season. In his 11-year career, Anthony has gone for 25.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 45.5% from the floor, 34.5% from beyond the arc and 81.1% from the charity stripe.

Be sure to check FanSided’s official NBA page to keep up to date on the latest news and rumors from around the league all summer.