Carmelo Anthony Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southwest Notes: Anthony, Simmons, Mavericks, Rondo

July 16th, 2017 at 9:07am CST by Arthur Hill

Houston continues to be the preferred destination for Carmelo Anthony, but former Rockets coach and ESPN commentator Jeff Van Gundy doesn’t see the high-scoring forward as a “natural fit” for the team, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. Van Gundy, who still lives in Houston, believes the Rockets need to focus on defense in any future transactions. “I think they have a lot on their plate integrating [Chris] Paul and [James] Harden,” Van Gundy said. “They’re not going to be better offensively than they were last year. They were the second-best team in the league offensively. I thought they had defined roles everyone knew.”

Efforts to work out a four-team trade that would send Anthony to Houston are currently on hold as new Knicks GM Scott Perry hopes for a face-to-face meeting with his star player before proceeding. New York officials would like Anthony, who can block any deal with a no-trade clause, to expand the list of teams he is willing to join, which reportedly now just includes the Rockets and Cavaliers.

There’s more this morning from the Southwest Division:

The Spurs never made a serious attempt to keep Jonathon Simmons, tweets Casey Keirnan of News 4 San Antonio. Simmons agreed to a three-year, $20MM deal with the Magic on Friday after the Spurs pulled his qualifying offer and made him an unrestricted free agent. Despite reports that San Antonio was trying to retain Simmons, the team never made him an offer apart from the QO, sources tell Keirnan.
The Mavericks are taking an international approach to rebuilding their roster, notes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. This week’s signing of German star Maxi Kleber could give them as many as seven international players at training camp. Joining roster holdovers Dirk Nowitzki, J.J. Barea, Dwight Powell and Salah Mejri will be Kleber, Nico Brussino and Ding Yanyuhang. However, Brussino’s $1,312,611 salary for next season won’t be guaranteed until Thursday, so he may be somewhere else when camp opens. “You want good players, and it doesn’t matter where you find them,” said president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson. “There are players all over the world. It’s our job to know where they are.”
After reaching an agreement Saturday with Rajon Rondo, the Pelicans plan to use him and fellow point guard Jrue Holiday as their backcourt starters, according to Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Rondo’s friendship with former Kings teammate DeMarcus Cousins was a factor in choosing New Orleans, Spears indicates.

Blazers Eyeing Carmelo Anthony

July 15th, 2017 at 9:16pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Knicks had hoped that the Blazers would help facilitate a Carmelo Anthony deal between New York and Houston, but Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reports that Portland is only interested in a deal if it brings Anthony to its team.

The Blazers believe a deal for Anthony would push the team to compete with any non-Warriors Western Conference squad due to their talent and depth. As a result, the organization isn’t interested in helping New York send Anthony to another team in its conference.

Portland currently isn’t on Anthony’s short list of teams in which he’s willing to waive his no-trade clause for. It was previously reported that the 10-time All-Star would be open to a trade to the Rockets and Cavs, though we learned earlier today that he may be focused joining Houston.

Carmelo Anthony Expecting Trade To Rockets

July 15th, 2017 at 7:56pm CST by ChrisCrouse

New York is looking to sit down with Carmelo Anthony over the next few days to discuss the possibility of keeping him on the roster. However, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the small forward intends to tell the Knicks that he would like them to go forward by trading him to the Rockets.

Anthony expects the team to carry on a rebuild without him on the roster. He’s been willing to waive his no trade clause for either the Cavs or Rockets, but Wojnarowski hears that Houston is his preferred destination at this time.

The Rockets are determined to complete a deal with the Knicks and the franchise believes Anthony is focused on playing in Houston next season.

The Knicks have paused trade talks with both teams. Scott Perry, who was recently hired as the team’s GM, wants an opportunity to talk with the franchise’s star player. Wojnarowski adds that Perry has a history with Anthony and “strong relationships” with some of the small forward’s inner-circle.

Perry and team president Steve Mills are evaluating whether it makes more sense to hold onto Anthony through part of the 2017/18 season in order to rehabilitate the 32-year-old’s trade value. Phil Jackson, who was fired by the organization last month, publicly tried to get Anthony to waive his no-trade clause, something that arguably hurt the 10-time All-Star’s trade value.

The franchise realizes that convincing Anthony to accept returning to the team remains a long-shot. Anthony didn’t come to the acceptance of waiving his no-trade clause easily, which means the team can’t expect him to shift his decision on a whim, Wojnarowski notes.

Atlantic Notes: Anthony, Nets, Raptors

July 14th, 2017 at 9:41pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Knicks have, at least for now, pulled Carmelo Anthony from the trading block and are not actively shopping their All-Star scorer. If the Knicks really wanted to trade Anthony, the team could have sent him to the Rockets if taking Ryan Anderson‘s contract in return was not a hurdle. As Frank Isola of the New York Daily News writes, dealing Anthony for a player who does less on the court and guaranteed more money the next three years is not a wise move.

Anthony, 33, has two years, $54MM left on his deal whereas Anderson, 29, has three years, $61MM left. Reports have suggested the Knicks are seeking a third, possibly fourth, team to complete a deal. After naming Steve Mills president and acquiring Scott Perry from the Kings to be the team’s new general manager, it’s clear that New York is going in a new direction. Owner James Dolan said as much in a statement regarding the team’s new hire.

“Today marks a culture change for our organization where we reestablish the pride, work ethic and responsibility that comes with playing for the Knicks and representing New York,” Dolan said (via ESPN). “I’m confident that Steve is the right person to take on this role, and ensure that we return to one of the elite teams of the NBA. He’s got an ambitious plan that centers on building a young team focused on player development, communication and teamwork.”

The Knicks still have an abundance of options with Anthony: They can hold onto Anthony and hope he plays well and trade him midseason if the team is out of contention; keep pursuing trades until the team finds a good fit; and, less ideally, buyout Anthony for cap relief. It’s a complicated situation for all and Anthony, with his no-trade clause and trade kicker, has all the power.

Here are additional notes around the Atlantic Division:

The Nets have 10 guards in their organization and acquiring additional size this offseason remains a priority, per Fred Kerber of the New York Post. Kerber mentions Shabazz Muhammad and JaMychal Green as possible targets for Brooklyn as the team continues its search for upgrades in the frontcourt.
One of the newest Nets, DeMarre Carroll, tells Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun that he expected a trade this offseason. In the candid interview, Caroll discussed why he did not fit into the Raptors’ offense the way he imagined and why it became frustrating playing for the team.

Carmelo Anthony Frustrated By Knicks’ Mixed Messages?

July 14th, 2017 at 3:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The subject of trade rumors for most of the year, Carmelo Anthony is frustrated by reports that Knicks general manager Steve Mills is putting those talks on hold and may be having second thoughts about a deal, according to Frank Isola of The New York Daily News. Isola suggests that the other teams involved in a proposed four-team Anthony trade scenario are also frustrated by the latest developments.

While Anthony’s camp appeared to be pushing for most of the week to complete a deal – likely with the Rockets – a report on Thursday night indicated that the Knicks had paused trade discussions with Houston and Cleveland. The move coincided with the arrival of new general manager Scott Perry, whose new deal with the Knicks was finalized today.

According to Isola, it’s possible that the Knicks just want Perry to settle into his new job before moving forward with an Anthony trade, but the club’s changing stance still comes as a surprise to many of the parties involved. As Isola writes, Anthony has expressed a willingness to waive his no-trade clause for the Rockets, and has been preparing to be sent to Houston.

“From what I understand, Carmelo is under the belief that he’s going to the Rockets,” a source tells the Daily News. “That’s what the Knicks have been telling us; that they’re trading him. I can’t imagine that after all he went though last season with Phil [Jackson] he’s happy with this.”

Isola suggests the parameters of a deal are in place, with some details that need to be finalized, and adds that two people close to the talks think something will get done eventually. Earlier reports from Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com and Marc Berman of The New York Post suggested that the Knicks want Anthony to meet with the new front office and head coach Jeff Hornacek, and may be more open to keeping him. However, Anthony isn’t expected to be very receptive to that idea.

Berman also indicated that the team holds out hope that Carmelo would be willing to expand his wish list to more teams besides the Rockets and Cavs, which perhaps is a hint that the Knicks may not be entirely satisfied with their return in the proposed multi-team trade.

According to Isola, Anthony is concerned about his public image and doesn’t want his potential departure from the Knicks to be messy. It may be getting too late for that.

Carmelo Anthony Trade Talks On Hold

July 14th, 2017 at 9:13am CST by ChrisCrouse

JULY 14, 9:13am: As the Knicks regroup on the Anthony front, the team’s primary hope is that Carmelo will consider expanding his wish list beyond Houston and Cleveland, a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post.

Anthony, who has a no-trade clause, could veto any deal, but has expressed a willingness to waive that NTC for the Rockets or Cavaliers — the Knicks have been unable to work out a deal with either of those teams, so adding more clubs to the list could increase their chances of getting something done.

Berman also notes within his story that the Nuggets were among the clubs who explored getting involved in three- or four-team trade talks when those discussions were active.

JULY 13, 9:04pm: The Knicks have paused Carmelo Anthony trade talks with both the Rockets and Cavaliers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. New York would like to reopen dialogue with Anthony about “reincorporating him into the organization.”

It was previously reported that Anthony’s representatives wanted to see a deal get done this week. The Rockets and Knicks were looking to pull off a multi-team trade and were searching for a fourth team to help facilitate a deal. The two sides discussed a three-team deal last weekend, but those talks reportedly “stalled.”

Scott Perry’s pending arrival as GM has made team executive Steve Mills reconsider his stance on trading Anthony, the pair of scribes add. Perry, who currently is the Kings VP of basketball operations, and the Knicks have agreed on a deal to make the executive the team’s new GM. However, Sacramento and New York still need to work out compensation in order to finalize Perry’s hiring.

The Knicks would like Anthony to meet with the team’s new front office as well as coach Jeff Hornacek soon, but the pair of ESPN scribes add that it’s unlikely Anthony will respond with eagerness to stay with the franchise.

The Rockets acquired Chris Paul two weeks ago and since the trade, Houston has been cited as a potential landing spot for Anthony. In order to bring the 10-time All-Star aboard, Houston would presumably need to move Ryan Anderson, who will earn more than $19.5MM during the 2017/18 campaign. New York has no interest in adding Anderson to the team.

Pelicans May Help Facilitate Carmelo Anthony Trade

July 12th, 2017 at 6:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

Earlier today, we told you the Rockets and Knicks were looking for a fourth team to help finalize a trade involving Carmelo Anthony. The Pelicans have expressed interest in becoming that fourth team, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post.

It’s not clear whether New Orleans would take on the three years and more than $61MM left on Ryan Anderson‘s contract or if he would go to another team. Anderson spent four years with the Pelicans franchise before signing with Houston last summer. The Rockets need to move his salary to make room for Anthony, while the Knicks have no need for Anderson because he plays the same position as Kristaps Porzingis and he goes against their new philosophy of avoiding older players on long-term deals.

Representatives for Anthony would like to see the deal get done this week, Berman adds. Houston has scheduled a press conference for Friday to officially welcome Chris Paul, but Berman sees little chance that the trade will be complete in time for Anthony to make a surprise appearance. Multiple sources tell Berman that no deal will happen until “well after” Friday. He states that the sides are getting closer to an agreement and are still “motivated,” but much work still remains. A proposed three-team trade reportedly “stalled” over the weekend, forcing the Rockets and Knicks to start the process over.

Sources tell Berman that Knicks acting president Steve Mills is so focused on the Anthony negotiations that it has prevented the team from finding a veteran point guard. There is speculation that New York may try to fill the position through the Anthony deal.

Houston’s first attempts to acquire Anthony were unsuccessful, Berman adds, because the Knicks were restructuring their front office after former president Phil Jackson was fired. However, owner James Dolan has now signed off on moving Anthony and plans to make Mills the new team president.

Insiders tell Berman that Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni initially wasn’t on board with acquiring Anthony because of their past differences in New York. However, with Paul, James Harden and Nene all pushing for the move, D’Antoni has been left with no choice.

Knicks, Rockets Explore Four-Team Carmelo Scenarios

July 12th, 2017 at 3:23pm CST by Luke Adams

3:23pm: An Anthony trade involving the Knicks and Rockets is “at the two-yard line,” a source tells Stefan Bondy and Frank Isola of The New York Daily News. It’s not clear exactly how close the teams are – presumably not as close as if talks were “at the one-yard line” – but as ESPN’s report below indicates, both the Knicks and Rockets are motivated to complete a deal if they can find a scenario that appeases all involved parties.

10:17am: The Knicks and Rockets have explored Carmelo Anthony trade scenarios that would include up to two other teams in a possible four-team deal, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). However, while New York and Houston are both motivated to get something done, no agreement is imminent, according to Wojnarowski.

Since the Rockets’ acquisition of Chris Paul two weeks ago, Houston has been frequently cited as a potential landing spot for Anthony, with the Cavaliers viewed as the other viable suitor for the veteran forward. The Rockets appear to be more aggressively pursuing a deal at this point, but a match between Houston and New York is tricky.

For the Rockets to move enough salary to accommodate Anthony’s oversized contract, the team would almost certainly have to part with Ryan Anderson, who will earn more than $19.5MM this season. Anderson’s contract has three years left on it though, with cap hits of $20MM+ in 2018/19 and $21MM+ in ’19/20, and the Knicks have no interest in taking on that sort of long-term money for a veteran.

For a Rockets trade for Anthony to work, at least one other team would likely have to get involved to take on Anderson’s contract. That club accommodating the salary dump would require at least an asset or two for its troubles, and Houston has already traded its 2018 first-round pick, so it will be tricky to find a deal that makes three teams happy. A four-team deal, which would likely involve more players and picks, would be even more challenging. As such, we shouldn’t necessarily expect quick resolution.

Earlier this week, we identified the teams with cap room remaining — I’d expect the Rockets and Knicks are trying to engage several teams on that list. However, the Lakers have since committed their space to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, while the Hawks have cut into their room with a deal for Dewayne Dedmon.

If the Rockets can reach a trade agreement for Anthony, the longtime Knick is expected to waive his no-trade clause – and perhaps part of his trade kicker – to make the deal work.

Knicks Rumors: Front Office, Rondo, Anthony

July 11th, 2017 at 8:32am CST by Luke Adams

With the Knicks unwilling to grant David Griffin final say on basketball decision, it appears very likely that GM Steve Mills will retain some – and possibly full – autonomy on the club’s basketball decisions going forward, writes ESPN’s Ian Begley. Mills is set to run the team at least through this year’s free agent period, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s named the full-time president after that, per Begley.

Marc Berman of The New York Post reiterates that sentiment, noting that no formal negotiations have taken place yet between Mills and the Knicks, but the current GM appears to be on track to becoming the club’s permanent president. As Berman explains, New York figures may continue to conduct interviews, but the club would be on the lookout for a general manager to work under Mills, rather than someone to take over basketball operations.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Following up on the Griffin story, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News reports that one of the requests made by the former Cavs GM was to remove assistant GM Allan Houston from the front office. The Knicks’ unwillingness to part with Houston or to let Griffin bring in his own staff was one reason why the potential partnership didn’t pan out.
Currently, Mills is focusing on potentially trading Carmelo Anthony, finding a veteran point guard, and figuring out how to smooth things over with Kristaps Porzingis, according to Begley.
On the point guard front, the club has remained in touch with Rajon Rondo, and there’s mutual interest there, says Begley. However, the Knicks are out of cap room for the moment, so it’s not clear if Rondo would be willing to settle for the $4.3MM room exception, or if the team is looking to create cap space in order to make a more substantial offer.
A trade for a veteran point guard is a possibility too, according to Begley, who says New York had “strong” interest in Patrick Beverley before Houston traded him to the Clippers. Begley also mentions Brandon Knight or Eric Bledsoe as possible trade candidates, though there’s no indication the Knicks have talked to Phoenix about those vets.
No Carmelo deal is imminent, but the Knicks and Anthony “feel good” about getting something done at some point, sources tell Begley. For his part, newly-signed Knick Tim Hardaway said he’d “definitely” like to see Anthony return to the team next season (link via Begley).

Knicks Expected To Renew Carmelo Anthony Talks

July 8th, 2017 at 2:53pm CST by Joshua Fischman

After signing Tim Hardaway Jr. to a lucrative new deal, the Knicks are expected to renew their willingness to collaborate with the Rockets on trade scenarios to unload Carmelo Anthony, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The Rockets have been persistent in their pursuit of Anthony, who remains willing to waive his no-trade clause to join Chris Paul and James Harden in Clutch City, per Wojnarowski. ESPN’s report, citing league sources, notes that the Knicks “do not imagine a scenario where Hardaway Jr. is sharing the floor with Anthony to start the season.” The Knicks now have $97.7MM in committed salary for the 2017/18 season with 10 guaranteed contracts, per Bobby Marks of ESPN, so moving Anthony would be one path to regaining a little financial flexibility.

Sam Amico of Amico Hoops provides further context as to what factors figure to be holding up an Anthony trade between the Knicks and either the Rockets or Cavaliers. Since Anthony possesses a no-trade clause, the Knicks’ options may be limited to these two teams.

Amico writes that the Knicks do not particularly want to take back Rockets forward Ryan Anderson and the Cavs aren’t eager to part with forward Kevin Love in a deal for Carmelo. The piece also states that Cleveland has floated Turkish draft-and-stash prospect Cedi Osman to entice New York, but Osman would come attached to multiple unappealing contracts. Amico suggests that the Cavs are content to play the waiting game in hopes that the Knicks cannot reach a deal with the Rockets and resort to buying Melo out.