As the New York Knicks continue to decide the future of the franchise, other suitors for 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony are beginning to enter the fray. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, one more team has joined the Cavaliers and Rockets as teams with interest in a trade for Anthony: The Portland Trail Blazers.
However, Portland only has interest in participating in a multi-team deal if they were the team to land Carmelo, despite the Knicks’ and Rockets’ hopes of including them as a third-team facilitator, Wojnarowski notes:
One team that New York and Houston had hoped would facilitate a multiteam trade for Anthony, the Portland Trail Blazers, plans to participate in a deal for Anthony only if he decides to expand his no-trade clause to include them, league sources told ESPN.
Portland believes the addition of a player such as Anthony would furnish it with talent and depth comparable to those of the top Western Conference contenders, except for the Golden State Warriors, league sources said. Because of that, the Blazers have little, if any, inclination to facilitate an Anthony deal that would land him with a Western Conference rival such as Houston, league sources said.
Anthony has been linked to several teams since the start of the new year — Boston, Cleveland, Houston and the Clippers among them — but in recent weeks, the Rockets have reportedly taken a firm lead in his pursuit.
Houston is determined to complete a deal for Anthony and believes he is focused on playing with the Rockets next season, league sources said.
Anthony, who signed a multi-year deal with the Knicks in 2014, has a no-trade clause in his contract that needs to be waived for any trade to be completed.
