Carmelo Anthony's career is at a crossroads - here's how his time with the Knicks has turned into one of the wildest shows in the NBA

The Knicks matched up with the Celtics in the first round and were promptly swept in four games, though not due to a lack of effort from Anthony. With Stoudemire injured for Game 2, Anthony delivered a playoff classic, scoring 42 points with 17 rebounds and six assists, albeit in a losing effort.

The NBA and players finally resolved it, leading the season to start on December 25. When the lockout ended, the Knicks signed Tyson Chandler, leading some to appoint the Knicks as the new "Big Three."

Through the first 21 games of the season, the Knicks went 8-13, looking dead in the water until the most unlikely player saved the season...

Lin, of course, became a national phenomenon, saving not only his own career (he was days away from being cut) but the Knicks season. The team went 10-5 in February without their two biggest stars as Lin stole the show.

The team struggled again, and Lin later got hurt.

D'Antoni later resigned, and the team promoted Mike Woodson to head coach. The Knicks took off, with Anthony giving maximum effort playing power forward in a small-ball lineup. Anthony averaged 30 points, seven rebounds, and three assists per game as the Knicks went 9-4 to close the season.

In an Easter showdown with the Chicago Bulls, Anthony poured in 43 points, hitting both the game-tying three-pointer to force overtime, then the game-winning three-pointer in OT.

Anthony did have a strong Game 4, scoring 41 points with the go-ahead three-pointer in the final seconds to give the Knicks their first postseason win since 2001.

Instead, Lin was offered a three-year, $25 million contract by the Rockets. When asked if the Knicks should match it, Anthony scoffed and called it "ridiculous." Lin left the Knicks for the Rockets.

The plan seemed to work. Still using Anthony as a small-ball power forward — an innovative move at the time — the Knicks lit the NBA on fire with a barrage of three-pointers. They would finish the season 54-28, second in the East.

Anthony averaged 28.7 points per game on 45% shooting, 38% from three, with seven rebounds per game, putting together one of his finest overall seasons for a surprising Knicks team.

Anthony and the Knicks were locked up by the Pacers and couldn't find an answer to their size and physicality. Famously, Roy Hibbert had a game-changing block on an Anthony dunk attempt in Game 6 that crushed the Knicks' momentum. They were eliminated by Indiana.

Furthermore, the Knicks made an ill-advised trade with the Raptors for Andrea Bargnani, giving up a first-round pick in the process. The Knicks believed Bargnani could stretch the floor and make the Pacers pay in a potential rematch. In reality, Bargnani was a poor three-point shooter the Raptors were eager to get rid of.

In the midst of a losing season, the Knicks made a huge hire, luring Phil Jackson out of retirement to be president of basketball operations with a reported five-year, $60 million contract.

They traded Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith to the Cavaliers for little in return, then shut Anthony down after just 40 games to get knee surgery. The team finished a franchise-worst 17-65 record.

Jackson also made some subtle, solid moves in free agency that earned, signing the likes of Robin Lopez, Arron Afflalo, and Derrick Williams.

Jackson fired Fisher, reportedly due to a lack of dedication on his triangle offense and for an ugly off-court incident. He promoted Kurt Rambis to head coach and the team finished just 32-50, missing the playoffs for the third straight year.

Though fit and health were questions, the Knicks were also clearly more talented on paper. The expectation was they would compete for a playoff spot, with Anthony and Porzingis rounding out a talented starting five.

Jackson first made an ill-advised comment about Anthony's good friend LeBron James, referring to James and his "posse" in an interview with ESPN. Jackson later criticized Anthony in a CBS interview, saying he holds the ball too long. Anthony was reportedly annoyed by the comments.

The Knicks reportedly reached out to the Cavaliers, Clippers, and Celtics about trades for Anthony, but nothing went through. Anthony maintained he would like to stay in New York, but said he was never approached by the Knicks about a trade.

Many interpreted the tweet as a shot at Anthony.

Read more: Phil Jackson's inscrutable tweet about leopards' spots appears to be a shot at Carmelo Anthony

Anthony, obviously was not traded. People wondered, however, if Anthony had played his final game for the Knicks.

Anthony responded on Instagram with a caption that said "REALLY" and two crying-laughing emojis. The NBPA, of which Anthony is vice president, later responded criticizing admonishing Jackson for speaking openly about trading a player, which players under contract are forbidden to do.

Read more: Phil Jackson appears to be pushing Carmelo Anthony out the door

Anthony has stated his family is a big reason for wanting to stay in New York, and LaLa, a TV personality, would benefit from being in New York. If the two are separated, would Anthony finally accept a trade to another team?

He may decide to stay in New York and wait out Phil Jackson, as The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski reported. Or, Anthony may finally be ready to start a new chapter of his career. Either way, it should be an interesting offseason for the Knicks.

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