Earl Monroe says Carmelo Anthony “has unfinished business” with Knicks

The pursuit of free agent Carmelo Anthony has reached a fever pitch on both coasts, with the Knicks and Lakers both having reportedly offered max contracts to the superstar scorer in hopes of luring Anthony to their respective franchises.

But the money should not be the top motivating factor in Anthony’s decision, according to New York Knicks legend Earl “The Pearl” Monroe.

“Everyone’s throwing a lot of money at him,” Monroe told SheridanHoops in a one-on-one interview Monday morning. “It should be about a lot of unfinished business in New York.”

While Los Angeles has Kobe Bryant and teams like Chicago and Houston already have superstars in place, they’re building a team around Anthony alone in New York.

“Here’s a situation where the purpose is building a team around him and they’re really not so far away,” Monroe said.

Monroe is a fan of the trade the Knicks made to bring in Jose Calderon, Samuel Dalembert and young players, calling Dalembert a strong post presence. It’s just the beginnings of the imprint Phil Jackson is making on the franchise, a franchise that Monroe believes is in safe hands.

Jackson was Monroe’s former Knick teammate and is a proponent of Jackson’s straightforward style. “People trust him because he sticks to his word,” Monroe said. Jackson’s system works, Monroe believes, because of the defined roles Jackson gives his players and coaches.

“He pretty much tells the people what their jobs are,” Monroe said. “A lot of places, you go and you don’t really know what’s expected of you. People need to know the contributing factors to help the team win, and Phil makes that clearer than other executives and coaches. The players he gets help facilitate things.”

Interestingly, the coaches of the two teams believed to be leading the Anthony chase won’t really factor into his decision very much, if at all (the Lakers don’t have one). Monroe, the chief brand ambassador for Sports Candy Store, which partnered with the NBA to sell team and player-licensed sweets, said that new Knicks head coach Derek Fisher isn’t a big factor in whether Anthony stays or goes. “It’s all about Phil and what he really wants,” Monroe said.

Despite New York’s ability to offer an extra year and $32 million on a max-level contract, Monroe doesn’t think that the money isn’t a big factor in Anthony’s decision-making process.

“When you get to that kind of money it doesn’t make that much of a difference,” he said. “It’s up to the organizations at that point to build a great team around you. Either way you aren’t going to the poor-house, so it’s about trusting the organization.”

Another interesting factor Monroe discussed was having to be accepted by another team’s fan base, something Anthony would have to do in Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Miami or anywhere else. “New York is still a great place to be for Carmelo. People want to see him succeed and you don’t need to be accepted again,” Monroe said. Asked if being accepted in a different city was a factor for LeBron James, Monroe called James a hired gun. “I don’t think the same criteria is being placed on Carmelo.

Monroe ultimately believes that Anthony will stay in New York.

“It’s a great opportunity to make a lasting name for himself,” Monroe said.

Having not won a championship in over 40 years, going back to Monroe’s days as a player with Jackson on the bench, an Anthony-led title team with the Knicks would be something extra special.

“Winning in New York after all these years would be a monumental feat that would be remembered forever,” Monroe said. “If I were him, I’d stay. One of the things that defines your career is winning a championship. It bodes well with your own ego and how people remember you.”

Shlomo Sprung is a national columnist for SheridanHoops who loves advanced statistics and the way they explain what happens on the court. He is also the web editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. A 2011 graduate of Columbia University’s Journalism School, he has previously worked for the New York Knicks, The Sporting News, Business Insider and other publications. His website is SprungOnSports.com. You should follow him on Twitter.