Carmelo Anthony‘s future with the New York Knicks appeared to be solidified when he signed a monster new deal with the team in the summer of 2014–5 years, $125 million–and immediately gelled with the team’s first-round draft pick, Kristaps Porzingis, who will certainly received a chunk of Rookie of the Year votes in the coming weeks.

However, towards the end of the season, after the starting lineup was shuffled several times and head coach Derek Fisher was fired, Melo appeared to be unsure about his will to remain in New York. He’s admitted to being jealous about the success of his peers, like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, and openly questioned the leadership of the organization, leading many to believe that he could drop the no-trade clause of his contract in search of a championship contender. There was also the awkward news earlier this year that the Boston Celtics were in the process of putting together a trade package that would’ve gifted them a hungry and healthy Carmelo Anthony in the middle of a playoff race.

Melo’s loyalty will, however, at least keep him in New York through the start of the 2016-2017 season. Speaking with Yahoo! today at the TechCrunch Disrupt Summit, Anthony declared that we will ‘see him playing for the Knicks, absolutely,’ according to ESPN’s Ian Begley.

Does this mean Melo won’t get fed up with the process, and drop his no-trade clause by the February trading deadline? No, and if you remember, that’s how he landed in New York from Denver in the first place. Regardless, this will be a pivotal year in Melo’s career. The speculation has only just begun.

May 11, 2016