Community Shootaround: Carmelo Anthony Trade

Carmelo Anthony will head to the Thunder after the team struck a deal with the Knicks to bring the 10-time All-Star to the club.

OKC gave up Enes Kanter, who performed admirably off the bench last season before struggling in the playoffs, Doug McDermott, and a future second-rounder for what could be just one season of Melo. The small forward can opt to become a free agent next summer, though that would mean giving up nearly $28MM in salary for the 2018/19 campaign.

For the Knicks, getting Melo to expand his list of teams beyond the Rockets was a step in the right direction. The front office didn’t want to enter training camp with Anthony and the potential distraction of having a disgruntled future Hall of Famer surrounding the team. With the Cavs and Thunder included on Melo’s revised list, the organization scoured deals and pulled the trigger on one that doesn’t particularly help them in the short term.

Kanter should be productive on the offensive end, but his struggles on the defensive end, coupled with the team’s abundance of frontcourt options, will limit the big man’s ability to positively impact the game. McDermott, who’s a former lottery pick, will be given a chance to shine in the league’s biggest market, though there’s not much evidence that he’ll be successful with an expanded role.

The return that the Knicks received signals that they are content with coasting through this season near the bottom of the standings with the hopes of landing a top pick in the 2018 draft.

It’s not as blatant of a tank job as the one that took place two hours south in Philadelphia, but two plans share very similar principles and it makes sense based on where this team is in its current state. New York couldn’t net a blue-chip asset in a deal for the 33-year-old, so the best course of action was to manufacture one via its own 2018 first-rounder. The Knicks will likely be among the worst teams in the east this season, though the chance of landing a top prospect next June will inspire hope in their fan base.

Do you believe the Knicks took the best course of action trading Melo to the Thunder or was keeping him the better option? Houston appeared to be willing to send Ryan Anderson to the Knicks for Anthony. Is this trade better than receiving an Anderson-centered package? Was there another trade with one of the team’s on Melo’s list that made more sense for the Knicks?

Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!

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