The New York Knicks missed the playoffs for the fourth season in a row, once again struggling to find their way through the 82-game season. 

As it goes with any team stuck in a rut, the Knicks hit numerous lows throughout the year. Their struggles led to rumors swirling that Carmelo Anthony could be one of the big names moved at the trade deadline. It never came to be, but that's not because things were peachy within.

It seems the lowest of lows came in a double-digit loss to the Brooklyn Nets on March 12, according to Ian Begley of ESPN. The Nets, the worst team in the NBA this year, rattled in three after three. This led to a massive outburst in the locker room involving Carmelo during the game. 

The Nets had drained 14 threes on the Knicks in the first half, causing Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek to go off on his team in an "expletive-filled" screaming tirade at halftime, according to Begley. 

This struck a chord with Anthony, who Begley notes is typically low-profile and easygoing. Carmelo responded by yelling back with his own profanities, which stunned those in the locker room and around the organization, writes Begley.

The content of that rant from Anthony wasn't just a response to Hornacek, either. Carmelo reportedly questioned the direction of the Knicks franchise as a whole, which prompted assistant coach Kurt Rambis to fire back at Anthony and question his defensive effort.

If Anthony has serious questions about the future of the Knicks, it seems more and more likely he will be willing to waive his no-trade clause. That's one of the reasons New York held onto Anthony through the February trade deadline. 

Carmelo has been leaving a trail of crumbs for reporters to follow, and as the path gets deeper, it seems more and more likely that his time with the Knicks may be over. New York "remains committed" to trading Anthony this summer, league sources tell Begley.

If so, it seems like the right move for both sides. The Knicks have gone nowhere with Carmelo since he forced his way there from the Denver Nuggets, and the 32-year-old swingman's best years are officially behind him. 

Trying to lift the Knicks has gotten him nowhere, and there's a clear disconnect between him and upper management. All of these factors amount to a mutually beneficial parting of ways, but moving $54 million in salary over two years (Anthony has an early termination option in the final year) is never easy. 

Anthony will have a few months to consider what he wants to do about his no-trade clause before NBA free agency begins and the Knicks need to know what their future with, or without him, looks like.