Knicks' Porzingis pleads for Melo to stay: 'I need him'

While Carmelo Anthony expressed his unwillingness to discuss his own trade rumors for the remainder of the New York Knicks' season, that didn't prevent rookie phenom Kristaps Porzingis from sharing his own thoughts about Anthony's future with the team.

"Obviously I want him to stay here. We need him. I need him," Porzingis told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News on Saturday. "And we don't want to lose him."

This is not the first time Porzingis has been vocal about his admiration for Anthony, stating back in February how integral the nine-time All-Star is to the Knicks' success.

While the Knicks haven't been particularly good with Anthony on the court, posting a 30-36 record with their star forward, they've been abysmal when he sits, going winless in eight games.

"I need him, No. 1, to learn from him. And to win. We need him to win," Porzingis said. "Without him it would be much more difficult. Him leaving would be tough but I'm not worried about that, I don't think it's going that way. He's been loyal. I think he loves New York. And that's the most important thing."

Anthony's no-trade clause allows him to control his own destiny in the Big Apple. However, the Syracuse product talked Wednesday about his desire to join LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Paul to form a super team, something that may be concerning for both Porzingis and the Knicks' faithful.