New York Knicks forward, Carmelo Anthony, said that he is open to leaving if Phil Jackson wants him gone.

Rumors of the Knicks shopping Anthony swirled as the team struggled in late December and early January. Although team President, Phil Jackson, has not officially commented on whether or not Anthony is on the trade market, Anthony says he is willing to talk about leaving the team.

At the mid point of the season, the Knicks are a faltering 18-23, having lost their most recent game to the Toronto Raptors at the Air Canada Centre on Sunday. New York area columnists have begun to write that the team might be better off trading Anthony to a contender for younger pieces. Charley Rosen, a confidant of Jackson, wrote a column that posited the same opinion.

“The only sure thing is that Carmelo Anthony has outlived his usefulness in New York,” wrote Rosen.

Anthony did not deny the possibility that Jackson might want to ship him away in order to rebuild the team.

“If that’s the case, if that’s where it’s coming from, that side, I guess it’s a conversation we should have,’’ responded Anthony when questioned about the column. “If they feel my time in New York is over, I guess that’s a conversation we should have.”

Anthony also said that no one in the New York Knicks leadership has approached him about leaving the team or being traded. The last time Jackson made a public appearance was at a publicity event for a book written by Rosen, leading many to believe that he is deeply in the know