Carmelo Anthony has seemed much happier lately since being traded from the New York Knicks to the Oklahoma City Thunder. In an interview with Marc Stein of the New York Times, the 10-time All-Star reflected back on his final days with the Knicks and why it took so long for him to be traded.

Tensions between Anthony former Knicks president Phil Jackson dominated the headlines and it became clear that one of them had to go. What resulted, was both of them leaving the tumultuous franchise. Prior to Jackson and the Knicks parting ways, he tried to find a trade partner for Anthony but was unable to do so. Anthony feels it took so long because Jackson wanted to trade him "for a bag of chips," but Jackson's replacement, Scott Perry, was "asking for steak."

"When I signed back with the Knicks [in 2014], I wanted to be in New York and I believed in Phil," Anthony added. "Then last year it went to: I was being pushed out. There were things being said about me that I didn't know where they were coming from."

“There was no support from the organization,” he continued. “When you feel like you’re on your own and then on top of that you feel like you’re being pushed out ...”

Anthony also noted that he and Jackson spoke "maybe twice" all of last season. Their highly reported meetings only lasted minutes. After the Knicks finished a 31-51 season in 2016-17, Jackson told reporters Anthony might be helped playing on a different team.

"We have not been able to win with him on the court at this time and I think the direction with our team is that he is a player that would be better off somewhere else and using his talent somewhere he can win or chase that championship," Jackson said.

Jackson was hired as team president in March 2014 and parted with the Knicks this past June. Perry took over as general manager and negotiated the trade with the Thunder that sent Anthony to Oklahoma City on Sept. 25. Anthony had to waive his no-trade clause in order to facilitate the deal.

“My son said he wanted me to play for O.K.C.,” Anthony said of his 10-year-old Kiyan. “Even before O.K.C. was in the picture.’’

With the Thunder, Anthony joins an organization that made the playoffs last season in the tough Western Conference on the back of NBA MVP Russell Westbrook. Now, they have Anthony and All-Star Paul George, who was traded from the Indiana Pacers earlier in the offseason. It's still an uphill battle as they'll have to face the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets and more, but they have more firepower to help along the way.

Source: NY Times