For much of the summer, after 2017’s top free agents came off the board, we waited for resolution on two notable trade candidates, Kyrie Irving and Carmelo Anthony. The Irving saga finally came to an end last week when the Celtics and Cavaliers finalized their blockbuster deal involving the All-Star guard. However, Anthony remains on the Knicks‘ roster, with no recent updates on where things stand with those trade talks.
Ian Begley of ESPN.com has a piece up today rounding up all the latest notes on the Anthony situation, so let’s dive in and pass along the highlights…
- As of last week, the Knicks were “not close” on an Anthony deal. According to Begley, the Knicks have been telling people around the league that the Rockets – Anthony’s trade partner of choice – just don’t have pieces that appeal to them.
- The Bucks emerged at one point as a potential third team to help accommodate a Rockets/Knicks swap, says Begley. However, Milwaukee has been trying to shed salary, so the prospect of taking on Ryan Anderson and the $60MM left on his contract likely isn’t much more appealing to the Bucks than it is to the Knicks.
- In those “very preliminary” talks, Jabari Parker‘s name came up, though it’s not clear if the Bucks or Knicks introduced that idea, Begley writes. In that proposed scenario, Parker would have been part of a larger package that included at least one player on a big contract, such as John Henson or Greg Monroe.
- Begley notes that the Knicks want to land a combination of a young player, a draft pick, and/or an expiring contract in an Anthony trade, so the idea of landing Parker and Monroe probably appealed more to New York than Milwaukee.
- Although a trade seems unlikely to happen before the start of training camp, there has been little contact lately between Carmelo and members of the Knicks‘ organization, sources tell Begley. As the ESPN scribe notes, neither side appears to have much interest in having Anthony on the roster to start the season, but the Knicks’ front office remains unwilling to consider a buyout, so it will be interesting to see how the next several weeks play out.
caemelo should get comfy he gonna be there for the upcoming season
You’re all over this from every angle! Everything is true
Cedi Osman and the Cavs pick, plus taking Shumperts contract for Melo and Courtney Lee
The trade I came up with on trade machine for the Cavs would be Shumpert, Osman, Frye, Tavares, Felder and the Cavs pick for Melo.
Frye is expiring, Felder and Tavares are non guaranteed. They get a 1st and a young lottery ticket in Osman. Shumpert is there for the money to match up.
I know that isn’t a phenomenal deal for the Knicks but I honestly don’t think they could get a better deal. Definitely not from the Rockets. The Rockets don’t have they assets to attach to Anderson to dump his contract.
Melo would also have to waive his trade kicker.
Not bad. I agree the Knicks aren’t going to get more for him. He’s not in high demand. I hope the Knicks realize that.
The demand would be higher, but the no-trade clause limits the Knicks options. Thank you Phil Jackson.
This is probably true. I think without that clause he may have been gone at the deadline last year.
The Knicks probably won’t get more but Anthony saying Houston only tells me LeBron told him something. Cause why not play one year with LeBron? Unless bron told you it’s a shit show and I’m bouncing.
Melo has an ETO, he can bounce too. Why wd James not what to run with him for a year or two where James is at?
The problem is always going to be they play the same position. Unless Melo is traded for Love (an unpopular plan), the Cavs will want Melo for coming off the bench and Melo probably wants more.
Please no. That means the Cavs would be forced to sign 3-5 bench players/G Leaguers at the vet minimum. Their bench is inconsistent and sketchy as it is without bringing in a bunch of fourth stringers plus giving up a pick for a potential starter/legit contributor.
Not really, Tavares and Felder are likely to get waived anyway. So all you lose is Osman and Shump. Shump is not good. And Melo coming in bumps Jefferson to the bench. The only spot you are really replacing is Shumpert.
LBJ
Love
Melo
JR
IT
Crowder
Tristan
Green
Rose
Calderon
Jefferson
Zizic
Their last 3 spots would be G League guys but that is ok.
In the scenario Cavs lose Osman, Shump (much better than a G leaguer just overpaid) Frye and a pick. That’s 4 bench contributors at let’s just say 3 positions (not knowing the pick). All for one player that don’t believe would play well with the starters. Melo isn’t a 3 pt thrat, can’t bring the ball up the court and is slow. We all now about his Vitamin D(fense) deficiency. I just don’t see the benefit.
It truly is addition by subtraction. Melo is an anchor around the neck of the organization, along with the owner.
At the very least they can rid themselves of one-half of that anchor.
I’m in, do it!!
The fact that the Knicks are expecting something in return is laughable. He is no longer the prolific scorer he once was and he has never been interested in playing defense. The Knicks gave him that contract and shouldn’t expect some other team to help them shoulder that load just because the prima donna don’t like the offense they run.
Last 7 years as a Knick (ppg) :
26
23
29
27
24
22
22
Melo can still score.
The reason the Knicks won’t get value has nothing to do with his talent. It has everything to do with him severly restricting the list of teams he will accept a trade to.
Is James Dolan a member of the Communist Party?
sources are reporting melo to Houston is going to happen in 2 weeks
This is going to end in a buyout. Neither side wants him on the roster when the season starts.
If I were the Knicks… I would keep Melo so the foreign kids could be young in the big city for another year. Is he so horrible an influence? Jackson drafted Ntikina as a team-oriented PG (as opposed to Rose or SmithJr). It will all look better with the current roster as the year engages.
Melo is a great guy to have if you need someone to cash a check. His scoring doesn’t contribute to wins and few enjoy playing with him or coaching with him. He has the same approach/attitude as Lebron (who has earned it) without any results. If a supposed “superstar” can’t get his team to even sniff the playoffs in the East where basketball has gone to die, what does he have to offer anyone in the West or another contender? It would be an absolute dumpster fire if he joined the Cavs. If Lebron wanted him there he would already be there and I imagine he is like the fun friend that you like to hang out with but if you are really in a pinch he’d be the last guy you’d call because you know he wouldn’t come through.
Last 7 years as a Knick (ppg) :
26
23
29
27
24
22
22
Melo can still score.
I agree he can score but his points are all but meaningless when they don’t lead to W’s and his salary ($25M est) eats up too much cap space for a guy whose admitted impressive scoring numbers don’t lead to wins. For him to average the same or close to elsewhere he would still need to be “the man” on that team which means the ball would stop moving and although he would get his points nobody else would and you end up with more L’s. In today’s NBA I think he is better suited a 6th/7th man off the bench when the other team’s 2’s are in because, you are correct, he can still score.
Meaningless points. See Reggie Theus, Kiki, Tom Chambers, Spencer Haywood.
A contract is a contract. Stay in NY collect your money. It’s owed to you. Go out and get your 20 something points every night like always. What’s two more yrs and he’ll only be 35.
I dont understand why they don’t make the deal with the Rockets and just buy out Ryan Anderson’s contract ? Does a buy out effect the salary cap long term ?
Well first Anderson would have to agree to the buyout but yes whatever they pay him in the buyout stays on their cap. Anderson doesn’t have much incentive to give the Knicks any kind of break on the buyout.
The new Knick management team has proven to be a joke so far (granted Perry wasn’t there for the mega-stupid-deals with THJ and Ron Baker). Maybe they’re just not up to making a Melo deal. Not as simple as vastly overpaying mediocre players. The only teams that are interested in Melo have cap/tax issues, so YES, even if Melo waives NTC and the TK, they will have to take back a bad contract or two if they want get other real assets. Saying they want expiring contracts, a quality young player and draft pick isn’t realistic. Not just because Melo isn’t worth it (that’s debatable), but because of his salary relative to the existing payrolls of the “win now” teams that might be interested. Cleveland, Portland and OKC are all taxpayers. Houston is hard capped. There are very few expiring deals or available draft picks between the four teams.
Melo go to the rockets,