5 trades Carmelo Anthony will never agree to
By Roje Smith
2. Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies currently have a 33-22 record and are the sixth seed in the Western Conference. They’re clearly a playoff team, but it’s a mystery as to how far they can really go. What’s not a mystery is that they don’t currently have the firepower to compete with the Warriors, San Antonio Spurs or Los Angeles Clippers. They have an obvious deficiency at the small forward position and Carmelo is more than capable of resolving that for them. With that being said, let’s take a look at what type of deal is a viable one for the Grizzlies to acquire the former Syracuse standout.
One deal that can work according the ESPN NBA Trade Machine is packaging Chandler Parsons and James Ennis for Anthony. Parsons has been dealing with injuries this season and is not having the kind of success that he had with the Houston Rockets. However, when he is fully healthy, he has proven himself to be a good all-around talent. As for James Ennis, he’s a young player that needs to develop and could prove to be a good commodity for New York’s future. Unfortunately for Memphis, they don’t have a 2017 first round pick to sweeten the deal. Additionally, the Knicks most likely wouldn’t go for that deal, but it’s probably the best that Memphis could do.
If the Knicks somehow gave the green light to the proposed trade, it would be a major boost for the Grizzlies. Their starting lineup would be comprised of Mike Conley, Tony Allen, Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol and Anthony. Additionally, they would retain valuable bench players in Vince Carter, JaMychal Green and Brandan Wright. It would be an improved roster, but is it good enough to bother the likes of Golden State? The answer to that is somewhere between “not a chance” and “not really.”
On top of the aforementioned deal already being shaky one to start, there’s also no way that Carmelo would agree to go to Memphis. It’s a significant downgrade for the market that he prefers to be in. Additionally, even though he’d be in a better basketball situation, it’s not guaranteed to be a championship situation. Due to both of those facts, it’s hard to imagine him entertaining the thought of playing for the Grizzlies. But, you never know?