The New York Knicks need to trade Carmelo Anthony.

The Knicks have to start facing reality: This team needs a whole new look. As good as Kristaps Porzingis has looked as a rookie, the Knicks have to start rebuilding in a major way.

The Knicks are currently the No. 12 seed in the Eastern Conference. They have no faith in head coach Derek Fisher, and they don't even have a winning record at home. Other than Spike Lee, no realistic Knicks fan can say with a straight face that this team has a bright future.

It all starts with Anthony. He is obviously the best player on the Knicks roster, and he clearly has the most value for a potential trade that can turn things around.

There's no reason whatsoever for the Knicks to keep Anthony. Since they brought him to the Big Apple in 2010, the Knicks have only won one playoff series, while losing three. Anthony has only made it to the third round of the playoffs once in his entire career, when he was with the Denver Nuggets.

The harsh reality is: The Knicks aren't benefiting one bit from having Anthony on their roster. It's only result has been a bigger cap hit for James Dolan's squad. Meanwhile, Anthony isn't helping his career by being on such a mediocre team in any way.

The Knicks have no idea what they're doing. There's a reason they haven't won an NBA Championship since 1973. It's time for the Anthony era to end in New York, at least in Manhattan.

Anthony is a very talented player, but he never did improve upon his defense or passing game to become an all around complete player. But again, this is more about the Knicks' incompetence than Anthony's failures.

This is a very tricky and complicated situation, however. As fans all know, Anthony has a no trade clause in his contract. Unless he waives that clause, he's not going anywhere for another three years. Anthony and his wife La La love New York and Los Angeles, almost to the point where fans believe location drives him more than winning. Would Anthony be with the Knicks if they played in Montana or Wyoming? Probably not, which says a lot.

If -- and this is a big if -- a team was going to trade for Anthony, it would probably have to be the Brooklyn Nets or Los Angeles Lakers. The Clippers won't be able to afford him. There's no other team in the league that can lure him -- and his wife -- other than those two because of geography.

Many felt the Chicago Bulls would have been the perfect fit for Anthony because the team always need a scorer, and that's what Anthony does best. Chicago also offers a lot of glamour for big time athletes. But, as we all know, Anthony chose to re-sign with the Knicks.

All good things must come to an end. Except this was never a good thing. It was worth a try, but it's beneficial for everyone involved to just break up and move on. The Knicks aren't winning anything with Anthony, so why keep him? Anthony isn't building his legacy with the Knicks, so why stay? A change of scenery and a new beginning would be good for all.

The NBA trade deadline is Thursday, Feb. 18 at 3 p.m. EDT.