For a majority of the 2016-17 campaign, Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks were in the middle of trade rumors. Melo to the Cleveland Cavaliers to play with LeBron, or Melo to the Los Angeles Clippers to pair with Chris Paul. Hell, Melo to the Boston Celtics was a topic reportedly discussed to give the C’s that one true ‘superstar’ they desired. But here we are in April, the Knicks are out of the playoffs and all three of those teams are in the middle of some hotly contested postseason matchups.
The only sign we have of Melo’s departure is a recent statement made by Knicks team president Phil Jackson in which he essentially said both sides would be better off if Melo went to another team. Jackson, fully showing his hand at this point, has few options for a Melo trade considering that he gave Carmelo Anthony a no-trade clause. It makes the situation a tad bit murkier but there is apparently was a destination for Anthony back at the trade deadline.
The Boston Celtics were reportedly ready to pull the trigger and bring in Melo, well the coaches were. General manager Danny Ainge had some second thoughts. But Phil Jackson had his eyes on a player he long coveted.
Following from Marc Berman of the New York Post.
According to an NBA source, the Celtics coaching staff was in favor of trading for Anthony at the trade deadline, but general manager Danny Ainge had too many reservations. One of Ainge’s concerns, according to a source, was an Anthony trade would have given Boston no real cap space to work with for the 2017 free-agent class.
The Post has learned that in talks with the Celtics, their defensive small forward Jae Crowder would be a major player of interest for Knicks president Phil Jackson. In fact, Jackson lamented not trading for Crowder when he was on the table in the 2014 trade talks with the Mavericks for Tyson Chandler. Crowder is an active, gritty defender who can shoot from 3-point range.
Berman goes on to detail the possible scenarios and moves both teams would have to make in order for a deal to be possible in the future. From draft picks to renouncing free agents and matching salaries, a lot of parts need to move to pull this deal off.
Do the Celtics make sense as a possible Carmelo Anthony landing spot? At the end of the day, it all depends on Melo and him waiving his no-trade clause. The Knicks could get the deal of the decade but if Carmelo Anthony doesn’t like his landing spot, he could always reject the deal.
