Carmelo Anthony says he must 'trust' Phil Jackson after big trade

New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony said Wednesday that he must trust team president Phil Jackson after Jackson's recent roster overhaul.

"I've got to trust in what's happening," Anthony said, according to ESPN.com. "I've got to trust in the plan that they're trying to put in place."

The Knicks traded J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert to Cleveland on Monday. Shumpert had started every game for the Knicks this season before dislocating his shoulder, and Smith was fifth on the team in minutes per game. New York also waived Samuel Dalembert, who had started 21 games at center. 

The trade sent three players to New York, who the Knicks immediately waived. They also received a second-round pick in the 2019 draft.

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"From a basketball standpoint, to lose three rotation guys, two guys that were a really big part of what we have going on here, to lose that, that's tough to deal with," Anthony said. "From a non-basketball standpoint, to lose two friends ... them guys will be missed, especially by me."

By parting ways with three players who had been playing significant minutes, the Knicks, who have the NBA's worst record, appear to be giving up on the season. But Anthony, who signed a five-year contract this summer, is aware that the franchise is in a state of flux.

"I kind of knew that it was going to be kind of a rebuilding situation," Anthony said. "But to be in the situation that we're in now from a record standpoint, I couldn't imagine this in a long time."

- Dan Gartland