Carmelo Anthony trade rumors took an interesting turn, with the Portland Trail Blazers expressing interest in acquiring the All-Star forward from the New York Knicks. There have been a lot of NBA trade rumors involving Anthony over the past month, with most sources stating that he would prefer to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers or Houston Rockets. A new report by CBS Sports opens an intriguing door, though, provided Anthony was willing to waive his no-trade clause and go to the Pacific Northwest.
This presents a brand new wrinkle to the situation, as there had been previous Blazers rumors indicating that the team had interest, but now this seems to confirm a real effort to lure him to Portland. These latest Carmelo Anthony trade rumors also put a dent in what the Houston Rockets and Cleveland Cavaliers want to do, as the hope had been that they could use Portland in a three-team deal. With Portland open to involvement only if they can acquire Anthony, additional options are necessary for Houston and Cleveland.
As it was explained by CBS Sports, the main lure for Cleveland is LeBron James and for Houston, it is Chris Paul. James and Paul have been friends with Anthony for quite a while, which is why it has long been assumed he would want to join one of them during the 2017 NBA offseason. Portland can’t offer that, making it difficult to convince him to move west.
The Knicks have been so dysfunctional for so long, people forget just how freaking good Carmelo Anthony is https://t.co/od6I3LdVR6 pic.twitter.com/qCzmXn2B2w
— The Crossover (@TheCrossover) July 15, 2017
As previously reported by the Inquisitr , it is definitely a realistic option for the Portland Trail Blazers to take part in a Carmelo Anthony trade. The team can easily match salaries and send the New York Knicks several good options to fill out the roster for the next few years. Taking back Evan Turner or Allen Crabbe and Meyers Leonard would match salaries for the Knicks, then they could talk about draft-pick compensation. Crabbe could easily play big minutes for the Knicks, giving the team an offensive weapon to replace Anthony.
Carmelo Anthony Confident He’ll End Up With Rockets: https://t.co/pwCfnT2DAQ pic.twitter.com/w2dvNrwegq
— RealGM (@RealGM) July 10, 2017
Another reason the Knicks might want to work with the Blazers is that the team could ask for a young player in any package. Could the franchise figure out a way to get the Blazers to include recently drafted Gonzaga big man Zach Collins? No matter what, it all comes down to whether Carmelo Anthony is willing to waive his no-trade clause, as he has complete control and can decide whether or not he wants to help facilitate any NBA trade.
[Featured Image by Al Bello/Getty Images]
