New York Knicks Trade Rumors: Carmelo Anthony Deal With Rockets, Rajon Rondo Contract Offer?
New York Knicks trade rumors have the team working hard to get a point guard. The Knicks have also contacted Rajon Rondo and Darren Collison about joining the team for the 2017-18 NBA season. Analyst Ian Begley posted a report about the Knicks reaching out to Rondo and Collison as soon as free agency began on Saturday (July 1). Bigger news has the Knicks discussing a Carmelo Anthony trade with the Houston Rockets.
It appears that these latest New York Knicks trade rumors stem from a desire to sign free agent point guard George Hill. By dealing Carmelo Anthony’s contract, the team could clear up enough cap space to offer George a reasonable free agent deal. This all shows how busy the Knicks have become since parting ways with former team president Phil Jackson, possibly meaning free agents and other teams are more willing to listen to offers.
Another post by Ian Begley states that the Knicks are among teams interested in signing Michael Carter-Williams. This proves how badly the team wants to sign a new point guard to replace Derrick Rose on the roster. There are other teams that have already contacted Carter-Williams, though, and a growing list of interested franchises. The Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, and Charlotte Hornets have already expressed public interest.
OFFICIAL: Bulls waive Rajon Rondo and Isaiah Canaanhttps://t.co/GOSXv5AleG pic.twitter.com/YWG9RsuGjV
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) June 30, 2017
Back to the New York Knicks trade rumors involving Carmelo Anthony, it isn’t entirely clear how the franchise could work out a deal with the Houston Rockets. In order for an Anthony-to-Rockets trade to work, the Knicks would need to take on some salaries. Ryan Anderson will make roughly $19.6 million and Trevor Ariza is at about $7.4 million and those two players could match the salary of Anthony. Would that deal be amicable to the new front office in New York?
The Bulls announce they have waived veteran point guard Rajon Rondo. https://t.co/mSHMY85CQ3
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 30, 2017
The allure for the Houston Rockets here is that the franchise could team up Chris Paul, James Harden, and Carmelo Anthony for a really explosive trio on offense. The team might lack size at that point, but could look to free agency to add more veteran pieces to the mix. As for the Knicks, the team could ship a player like Ryan Anderson to a new franchise, or figure out a three-team deal that would be more palatable. That would then open the door to sign someone like Rajon Rondo, Darren Collison, George Hill, or Michael Carter-Williams very easily.
It’s very clear that the Knicks are going to be busy this offseason, whether it is to add pieces around Carmelo Anthony or work on signing players like George Hill to take the team in a new direction. A player like Rajon Rondo could certainly give the team a facilitator on offense and a much better defensive point guard, but he hasn’t been reliable on offense. Would he take a pay cut to play in New York?
[Featured Image by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images]
