Carmelo Anthony trade rumors may soon come to an end. Anthony has reportedly told the New York Knicks that he only wants to be dealt to the Houston Rockets, ruling out a potential trade between the Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers. A fresh report by the New York Post appears to be placing the Knicks in a difficult position, as the franchise is losing all of its bargaining power in the trade market.
The Knicks gave Anthony a full no-trade clause in his latest contract, putting all the power in his possession when it comes to NBA trades. Anthony has opted to remain in New York, continuously stating that he doesn’t want to uproot his family. This was despite the former Knicks team president trying to force him out and casting a negative light on the All-Star forward.
What happens next should put an end to the Carmelo Anthony trade rumors. The front office of the New York Knicks has to decide whether the package of players and picks that the Houston Rockets are offering is enough to finally pull the trigger on a deal. The brain trust of the Knicks (Steve Mills and Scott Perry) might just decide that keeping Anthony would be the best option for the team to have for the 2017-18 NBA season.
Get to know our new GM ?? #Knicks
[???? https://t.co/2UB1GkT4EU ] pic.twitter.com/8G2ngath6l
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) July 25, 2017
The rest of the NBA certainly needs to worry about a potent offense that includes Chris Paul, James Harden, and Carmelo Anthony for the Houston Rockets. There are a lot of questions about how good that roster would be on defense, but it seems very likely that they could average 110 points on a bad night. Would the Rockets still be able to add a defensive presence or two if they deal a number of assets to the New York Knicks? It could certainly entice other players to join that trio in Houston.
Chris Paul and James Harden put on a show at Drew League in their first public debut as teammates. https://t.co/WNIfNVrjKK
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 31, 2017
There are several additional reports from Tuesday (August 1) that also suggest Anthony is only willing to waive his no-trade clause to go play in Houston. With the Cleveland Cavaliers possibly in the market to trade All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving, it may have shifted Anthony’s interest level a bit. LeBron James could also look to leave the Cavs during the next NBA offseason, making that destination much less enticing for Anthony and his family.
A lot of the NBA offseason is left to take place before the preseason games in October. That gives the New York Knicks a lot of time to work on potential deals, meaning the franchise doesn’t have to rush any decisions. Making a deal with the Houston Rockets might allow the franchise to finally move in another direction, though, and these latest Carmelo Anthony trade rumors also suggest that there are limited options left for the front office.
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