The New York Knicks tried to shop Carmelo Anthony to the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers after the Cleveland Cavaliers rebuffed their overtures.
Phil Jackson has made attempts to move All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony to the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Clippers after the Cleveland Cavaliers rejected their overtures, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Chris Mannix of The Vertical.
Jackson’s determination to remove Anthony, 32, from New York stems from his hefty contract and desire to begin rebuilding around Kristaps Porzingis. Anthony’s contract will see him earn $24.6 million this season and $54 million in total over the next two years. Melo’s contract also includes a player option for the 2018-19 season and no-trade clause, which gives his salary a 15-percent boost if violated. Anthony does have the option to waive his no-trade clause in order to make him a more attractive trade asset.
So far, Anthony’s not garnering a lot of interest on the trade market. Per Frank Isola of the NY Daily News, if the Knicks were to send Anthony to the Clippers, none of the Clippers big three of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin or DeAndre Jordan would be a part of such a trade. What’s more telling is the Knicks are still willing to negotiate offers with L.A. that won’t include any of their stars, but instead some combination of Jamal Crawford, J.J. Redick or Austin Rivers. As expected, all the reported trade deals have come as a shock to fans of New York and the NBA in general.
Meanwhile, it remains to be seen what type of package the Knicks covet from the Celtics in a potential Anthony trade. The chances of a trade to Boston seems unlikely based on Anthony’s age, contract and playing style. His athleticism is fading, his defense is non-existent and his offensive strength focuses on
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His athleticism is fading, his defense is non-existent and his offensive strength focuses on isolation, not ball movement or creating looks for other players. Right now the Clippers are the only team that’s put out concrete names they’re willing to trade.
Melo has also been indifferent toward the reports and is focusing on playing basketball while the rumors swirl.