NBA Trade Rumors: Carmelo Anthony To Heat, Dwyane Wade To Rejoin Miami In Free Agency?


The latest NBA trade rumors seem to indicate a master plan involving Pat Riley bringing Carmelo Anthony to the Miami Heat. The speculation from there is that not only would Melo become a major star on a quickly rebuilding Heat squad, but new rumors also suggest it could be what Riley uses to lure Dwyane Wade back to South Beach as well. Could this master plan really come to fruition, or are the latest NBA trade rumors just more crazy speculation about Melo’s future?

The New York Knicks and Miami Heat are both struggling franchises at the moment. New York is sitting at 20-26, while Miami is a disappointing 15-30 in the Eastern Conference. Although the Knicks are a few spots out of contending for a playoff spot, Miami is nowhere near that picture and is the second worst team in the East after the Brooklyn Nets. In other words, the Knicks seem to be playing for more young talent via the 2017 NBA Draft, rather than playing for more championships under Riley’s leadership.

Carmelo Anthony plays vs Miami Heat
Could a major trade have Carmelo Anthony playing for the Miami Heat soon? [Image by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images]

Could that lead to Riley making a major surprise trade in the coming weeks ahead of the trade deadline to strengthen the Miami roster? A Palm Beach Post report on January 23 speculates on the possibility of Riley making a major play for Carmelo, similar to how he and the team pursued the hottest free agent last summer, Kevin Durant. The article notes that Melo is averaging 22.5 points, six rebounds, and 3.1 assists along with 43.3 percent shooting, all of which are respectable numbers. Anthony is currently 32 and still has some years left to make a major contribution to an NBA franchise. Unless he waives a no-trade clause he has, that franchise is the Knicks for the foreseeable future.

Over at Sportsrageous, the belief is that the Knicks might be tempted to give up Carmelo in the right trade package for their team and turn to Kristaps Porzingis as the main star in the Big Apple. That could allow a team such as Miami to figure out some of their young assets and NBA draft picks to send over to New York. It’s never out of the question for masterminds like Pat Riley and Phil Jackson to come up with surprising deals. Jackson just did that in the offseason by bringing Chicago Bulls players Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose to New York to join Melo. If Riley offers Jackson the right pieces, it’s certainly “possible.”

As Kevin Garnett said, “Anything’s possible.”

Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony friendship
Could Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony’s friendship lead to the two playing for the Miami Heat? [Image by Elsa/Getty Images]

The other speculation that Sportsrageous is proposing is the potential for Miami to bring former star Dwyane Wade back to the team. Wade left during the summer to become part of the Chicago Bulls, which was a dream of D-Wade’s, as he is now playing in his home city area. While there are rumors that Wade is closing in on retirement in the coming years, the concept of possibly playing alongside a good friend like Carmelo Anthony would certainly have Wade contemplating the idea.

Wade and the Bulls are currently sitting at 23-23 and second in the Central Division. D-Wade is averaging 18.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game to help Jimmy Butler as he and Chicago are contending for an Eastern Conference playoff spot. As outlandish as it might sound, the team could pose problems for higher tier teams in the standings, including Toronto and Cleveland, based on the fact that Butler, Wade, and Rondo just might gel when it counts most: playoff time.

With that in mind, this is the first season with Wade playing in Chicago, and it’s certainly not far off to believe he’ll want to stick around with fellow All-Star Jimmy Butler to try to improve their postseason success. Wade certainly has that experience of winning several NBA Championship rings, so it wouldn’t be surprising for Bulls management to do what it takes to keep him in Chicago during 2017 NBA free agency. It would take a lot to lure Wade out of his current situation, but Carmelo seems to be a potential draw if Miami can land him.

Will a trade actually materialize? Probably not unless Pat Riley pulls off another one of his blockbuster deals and surprises the sports world. It would involve two of the best basketball minds swinging the deal, as “Zen Master” Phil Jackson would be dealing with his longtime nemesis and helping him improve his team’s playoff chances.

There have been rumors recently via websites such as the New York Daily News that Knicks team president Phil Jackson may even try to force Anthony to want out of his no-trade contract. As it stands, though, it’s still up to Carmelo Anthony when it comes to an NBA trade happening, so stay tuned.

NBA fans, do you see these NBA trade rumors ever becoming reality? Will Pat Riley come up with a genius deal to bring Carmelo Anthony to South Beach? Will Wade join him, or will everyone stay put for the next several seasons?

[Featured Image by Elsa/Getty Images]

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