It’s seemingly the only question anyone has asked while the Knicks floundered through a season that ended up with them missing the playoffs despite playing in the Leastern Conference:

Will Carmelo Anthony be back with the Knicks next year?

He loves being in New York and the Knicks can offer more money than anyone, but they also have some rebuilding to do. And by some I mean a lot.

At his exit interview and meeting with the media Thursday, Anthony was intentionally vague. Here are quotes via Frank Isola of the New York Daily News and Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.

Carmelo: "I want to come back…I also want to win." — Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) April 17, 2014

Carmelo: "I don't know if I can afford another season of losing." — Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) April 17, 2014

Carmelo: "At this point in my career I'm not concerned about the money." Knicks can offer more than any other team: five years, $129 million — Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) April 17, 2014

Carmelo on returning to #Knicks: "If we can put ourselves in position to at least compete at a high level … then I’m willing to stay." — Ian Begley (@IanBegley) April 17, 2014

All the issues here have been well hashed out. Anthony has said essentially the same thing over and over since the All-Star Game.

New York is certainly a place that can attract free agents and they are paying Phil Jackson $12 million a year to set a tone, put in a structure, and get those players to come (also to keep owner James Dolan away from basketball decisions). The problem is Jackson has his hands tied this summer thanks to oversized contracts to Andrea Bargnani, Tyson Chandler and Amar’e Stoudemire that eat up the Knicks’ cap space. You can’t move expiring deals under this CBA like the last one, the Knicks are going to have a very hard time making major changes to the roster this summer.

The Knicks are better poised to make a leap in the 2015-16 season than next year. Yet with a new coach and a system in place (rather than their “catch as catch can” approach in recent years) the Knicks can improve and set a foundation that lets them make big leaps in the coming years.

Anthony’s core question to answer is pretty clear cut:

Does he trust Phil Jackson and Knicks management to build that winner? He gets more money and stays in a city he loves if the answer is yes. If the answer is no, if he can’t wait and is willing to take a healthy pay cut, Chicago and other contenders would move pieces to make that happen.

It’s up to him now.