On the eve of Leon Rose taking his new post as the New York Knicks' president of basketball operations, a potential reunion with former franchise star Carmelo Anthony is not completely off the books.

The Portland Trail Blazers forward spoke to Al Iannazzone of Newsday and gave a ringing endorsement of Rose, his longtime agent, in this new venture.

“It's an exciting time for the New York Knicks,” said Anthony. “It's an exciting time.”

The Knicks and Anthony parted ways in 2017, days before the start of the 2017-18 preseason. Anthony was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a deal that brought back big man Enes Kanter and forward Doug McDermott.

Life in the NBA hasn't been as smooth for Anthony since the trade. He had his worst season to date with the Thunder, only to fare even worse the following year with the Houston Rockets. He played only 10 games for the Rockets in 2018-19 before parting ways.

Anthony signed a non-guaranteed deal with the Blazers in November, one that became fully-guaranteed shortly after as Anthony got off to a strong start. While the Blazers have been happy to have him on the court and in the locker room, there's no guarantee that he will remain a Blazer past this season, opening the door for a Knicks return.

“It’s hard to say because I don’t know what that situation is going to be,” said Anthony. “The easiest thing to say is, ‘His agent is there, he’s coming back.’ Until I sit down and see the whole plan, I don’t know.

“Me and him, we talk multiple times a week. That’s not something we even discuss. I still think it’s still a shock for everybody. When the offseason comes, I got to be careful [what I say] now because it’s tampering.”

A good relationship with the front office is exactly what was missing from Anthony's last tenure in the Big Apple. His wife and son still reside in New York, making the possibility something he'll at least ponder in the summer.