The NBA trade rumors that were off are back on again, with reports that Carmelo Anthony still expects to be traded to the Houston Rockets after the deal appeared to die late this week.
The Knicks and Rockets had been deep in talks to move the All-Star forward, and reports this week indicated that they were “on the 2-yard line” with nearly all of the parameters set and the third (and possibly fourth) teams on board to get all the pieces in place. But the Knicks somehow fumbled at the goal line, with the deal appearing to fall apart on Thursday.
Not all hope is dead, however. New NBA trade rumors circulating late on Saturday indicated that Carmelo Anthony still expected to be traded and was pushing hard for the Knicks to move him to the Rockets. ESPN ‘s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Anthony always expected the Knicks to pick the trade talks back up, as their long-term plans don’t include Anthony — especially after shelling out a $71 million offer sheet to Tim Hardaway Jr.
Houston appears to be the top target. Carmelo Anthony has “begun to prioritize a trade to the Rockets” instead of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Wojnarowski reported. Sports Illustrated added that Anthony was regarded as still very much on the trade block.
Reports on Friday indicated that Anthony was frustrated with the Knicks for letting the trade talks fall through, so the push from Anthony this weekend comes as little surprise.
Carmelo Anthony is “frustrated” Knicks put potential trade on hold, per @FisolaNYDN https://t.co/1nDvjTd1zi pic.twitter.com/6CgYTNeob9
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 14, 2017
James Harden has also been dropping some heavy hints that he wants Anthony to join the Rockets, though stopped short of explicitly saying he wants the team to push for the trade to go through.
James Harden: Carmelo Anthony would ‘help our team tremendously’ but says the issue is out of his control. More: https://t.co/FgrGAAezrW
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) July 15, 2017
The Rockets would seem to be a good home for Carmelo Anthony, who would be an immediate upgrade over stretch forward Ryan Anderson by nearly every measure. Houston has joined the ever-escalating arms race in the Western Conference, inking James Harden to a record extension and landing Chris Paul. Adding Anthony would make the Rockets a bona fide contender to the Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder, two teams also upgrading this offseason.
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