After Derek Fisher’s New York Knicks eked out a heart-pounding Summer League victory Saturday evening, the first question asked wasn’t about Shane Larkin’s late game-winning bucket, or the development of his young team—it was about Carmelo Anthony.

News began to leak out on Saturday that the free agent was on the verge of being re-signed by the Knicks, but while Coach Fish was excited about the possibility of his decision, he knew that in the NBA, nothing’s final until it’s official.

“It’s exciting to hear that it’s still possible and that at least it’s closer to being real,” Fish told the media in Las Vegas Saturday. “But I’ve been around a long time, so until it’s done and it’s real, we can’t assume that it’s a definite thing. But it seems like, at least in the last few hours, it has gotten closer to sounding like Carmelo will be rejoining our team, and that’s obviously great news.”

On Sunday, Anthony made the news official when he announced on his website ThisisMelo.com that he will return to New York on a five-year contract. Once the news was made official, D-Fish was finally able to delve into how thrilled he is to coach one of the league’s most dynamic scorers.

“I have had the opportunity to be around some of the greatest players in our game, and now I have the honor of coaching Carmelo,” Derek said. “This is an exciting time for the New York Knicks franchise and our fans. I look forward to working with him and building something special together.”

Anthony was one of the most coveted players in this year’s loaded free agency pool, second only to four-time MVP LeBron James. He looked around, but ultimately, Coach Fish, president Phil Jackson and general manager Steve Mills sold the All-Star forward on the big picture in the Big Apple.

“After three months of questions around Carmelo Anthony’s return to the New York Knicks, we are now happy to know that we have the cornerstone of what we envision as a ‘team of excellence.'” Jackson said. “Steve Mills and I have assured Carmelo through our conversations, that we share the vision and the determination to build this team.”

Melo, a seven-time All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist, will help to lay the foundation for that vision. He led the Knicks with an average of 27.4 points last year, while also pulling down a career-high 8.1 rebounds. The 30-year-old has averaged more than 20 points per game in each season in his career. Next year will be his fourth full season in New York—he was traded to the Knicks by the Denver Nuggets during the 2010-11 campaign.

Derek acknowledged Anthony’s status as the team’s star, but said that he and his staff will spend the coming months deciding where each piece of the puzzle will fit for the upcoming campaign.

“That’ll be something that happens along the way,” Fisher said of Carmelo’s role. “It depends on who’s on the floor and how our roster looks when the season starts. Those will be some of the things that will factor into how we utilize not just Carmelo the best, but all of our guys. That’s something our coaches will spend the next few months trying to figure out as training camp approaches.”

RELATED ARTICLES

• NY vs. POR Postgame: Derek Fisher (Knicks.com, July 12, 2014)
• Knicks Re-Sign Carmelo Anthony (Knicks.com, July 13, 2014)
• Anthony announces he’ll return to Knicks (NYDN, July 13, 2014)
• My City, My Heart (ThisIsMelo.com, July 13, 2014)
• Anthony return excites coach Derek Fisher (NYDN, July 12, 2014)
• Anthony agrees to deal with Knicks (Washington Post, July 13, 2014)
• And now, Melo, for the hard part (ESPN NY, July 13, 2014)
• Carmelo Anthony, Knicks reach deal (ESPN NY, July 14, 2014)
• Carmelo officially announces return to Knicks (NY Post, July 13, 2014)