Both the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers had quite the frustrating opening month to 2017. The Knicks continue to play subpar basketball and were in and out of the headlines in January, a lot of times for the wrong reasons such as the disappearance of Derrick Rose and the trade talks that continue to swirl around 33-year old Carmelo Anthony. With the Knicks continuing to falter and a rebuild around Kristaps Porzingis imminent, Melo could be playing his last stretch of basketball in the Big Apple as the trade deadline sits less than a month away.
For the Cavs, the previous 30 days have been no less dramatic as LeBron James has been in the news for requesting a playmaker and for verbally bashing Charles Barkley. Not only has James garnered attention off the court with his eyebrow-raising remarks, but he and his team have looked awfully pedestrian on the hardwood as well, finishing January below with a below .500 record.
While the Cavs held a free-agent workout earlier Wednesday morning, Cleveland may be looking for a bigger fish and they have been linked in trade discussions with Anthony, one of James’ closest friends in the NBA.
Just last week we saw Cleveland get offered Carmelo in exchange for All-Star forward Kevin Love, a proposition Cleveland wisely turned down. With the potential Kevin Love-Carmelo Anthony swap supposedly dead, the Knicks have continued to look to unload Anthony to other suitors such as the Los Angeles Clippers or the Boston Celtics. However, it seems the Knicks have their sights set on Love and aren’t willing to give up just yet. Following from Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN:
The New York Knicks continue to pursue Kevin Love in advance of the Feb. 23 trade deadline despite the Cleveland Cavaliers’ unwillingness to part with the All-Star forward in a deal for Carmelo Anthony, according to league sources.
Sources said the Cavaliers, meanwhile, do maintain an interest in Anthony — which would pair him with Cleveland star and close friend LeBron James — but only if a deal can be struck without the league’s reigning champions surrendering Love.
ESPN first reported last week that the Cavaliers had rebuffed the Knicks’ attempts to swing an Anthony-for-Love swap.
The Knicks, sources say, have continued to engage the Cavaliers, LA Clippers and Boston Celtics in trade talks, believing those are all the teams Anthony would find appealing enough to surrender his trade-blocking ability if a deal could be struck.
While the Knicks seem determined to add Love, a deal going down surrounding the UCLA product and Anthony is still a long shot. While having Anthony on the Cavs would certainly be a luxury for James and the rest of the crew, GM David Griffin knows Love holds a vast amount of more value than Melo does at this juncture.
For the Knicks, a possible frontcourt pairing of Kevin Love and Kristaps Porzingis moving forward probably has the front office and Knicks fans drooling.
With trade season beginning to hit full throttle, Carmelo Anthony is certainly one of the biggest names to keep an eye out for, just don’t expect them to get an asset of Love’s caliber in return.
