New York Knicks: 5 potential Carmelo Anthony trades

 With Carmelo Anthony’s departure from the New York Knicks seemingly inevitable, here are five potential landing spots this summer.

The New York Knicks made headlines again last week. And once again, it was for all the wrong reasons.

With their options in free agency seemingly limited, the Knicks decided to splurge $71 million on Tim Hardaway Jr., a player they previously dealt away after selecting him 24th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft.

As confusing as this move was, in some ways it deflected attention away from the main cause for contention at present. And for that matter, the past 12 months.

That issue is the future of forward Carmelo Anthony. Although Anthony outlasted former team president Phil Jackson, it appears the franchise is still keen for a fresh start without Anthony’s presence.

With two years and $54.1 million remaining on his current contract that includes a no-trade clause, finding suitable compensation for the 10-time All-Star is going to be difficult considering the power Anthony holds in deterring his next home.

Recently, as reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Anthony has made it apparent that he is open to a trade to both the Houston Rockets and the Cleveland Cavaliers. In fact, ESPN‘s Ian Begley took it one step further:

Despite these revelations, nothing can be certain until all parties are satisfied on a final deal and destination. With that in mind, here are five potential trades involving Anthony and the Knicks.

5. Miami Heat

The saying may have been done to death, but in Anthony’s case it’s still very applicable — “Don’t underestimate Pat Riley.”

Having said that, acquiring Anthony would not be some much about this upcoming season, but more related to what Riley can accomplish next summer.

And that is a reunion of LeBron James and the Miami Heat.

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While many will feel that this is far-fetched, James returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers following his acrimonious departure also seemed extremely unlikely. And what better way to entice Anthony to South Beach than the possibility of teaming up in year’s time with one of best buddies, all while remaining in the weak Eastern Conference?

The possibility of a James return will never completely disintegrate. In fact, it gained some traction in the past week. ESPN’s Jorge Sedano, a lifelong Miami resident, raised the possibility of a James return when speaking on SportsCenter recently:

"“Pat Riley is a go big or go home kinda guy. And I look at Pat and he’s saying to himself – I want to create enough mobility for myself with my roster and some flexibility where I can have some cap space for next year in the big 2018 free agent class, AND have some tradable commodities to maybe be able to create some space. “I think, and this is just my guess – I think Pat Riley is trying for a LeBron reunion….LeBron is not happy, that’s what it seems like at the moment. Pat Riley is best known as a guy who likes to swoop in and take on the disgruntled superstar. He did it once with LeBron, he did it with Shaq, he did it with Alonzo Mourning.” “Pat is also in this to win this one more time. He basically told reporters a couple of years ago when LeBron left – all I need is one more…I think with LeBron having his options open and not committing to Cleveland beyond this coming season….I wouldn’t rule out a Miami reunion if the dominoes line up properly.”"

One of those dominoes would certainly involve the acquisition of Anthony. With Jackson and the Knicks having parted ways, trade talks between New York and possible suitors are now likely to be done in a more rational manner considering the relationship that existed between Anthony and Jackson.

If such a deal were struck, this still represents a great risk on Anthony’s part, as there’s no guarantee whatsoever than James may join forces with him next summer. At 33 and clearly chasing an elusive championship, Anthony is under no illusion that the clock is ticking.

However, if Riley were to pull a masterstroke and entice Anthony, a potential deal could look as follows:

The Knicks, after all, hold very little leverage considering the no-trade clause in Anthony’s contract. This deal, however, makes sense on both sides of the equation. In bringing in Hassan Whiteside, the Knicks would form an impenetrable force at the defensive end, while providing an incredible inside-out duo on the offensive end.

For the Heat, while losing Whiteside is substantial, Anthony would not only bolster the team immensely this season, but their chances of landing James in summer of 2018 would be improved considerably. Furthermore, the Heat’s backup center last season, Willie Reed, remains unsigned.

The Heat could potentially bring back Reed on a deal far less that the annual $24 million Whiteside was making. In the process, a center tandem of Reed and newly acquired Kelly Olynyk would provide a more than adequate double-overtime at the pivot spot.

4. Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers may seem a stretch considering they have posted a 75-253 record over the last four seasons. However, there are a couple of factors working in their favor.

First, being situated in the Eastern Conference makes the Sixers more attractive by default in comparison to the expected blood bath that will take place in the loaded Western Conference. Secondly, the recent signing by the Sixers of fellow veteran J.J. Redick is a sure sign that they are on the cusp of something special.

Redick and fellow veteran free agent Amir Johnson wouldn’t have jumped aboard the Sixers train if they weren’t confident in “Trusting the Process.” As Redick noted following his recent signing:

"“I really believe this is a team that over the next three or four years will become the best team in the East. I hope I’m sort of part of that rise just beyond this year because I think we can be a playoff team and I think in the next two or three years we can contend for conference championships and hopefully at some point NBA championships.”"

While it’s certainly high praise, it’s hard to think that such sentiments wouldn’t garner Anthony’s attention. And the fact that both Redick and Johnson have left 50-win teams from last season should make it even the more encouraging to get Anthony thinking that Philadelphia is the place to be.

The proposed deal sees the Knicks receiving an elite defensive wing in Robert Covington, and a promising potential frontcourt partner for Kristaps Porzingis in Jahlil Okafor. They’d also get Jerryd Bayless for salary-matching purposes.

For the Sixers, a starting lineup of Markelle Fultz, Redick, Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid and Anthony is simply tantalizing. And it could just be appealing enough for Anthony to retrain his line of thinking.

3. Los Angeles Lakers

This deal falls in a very similar line to the Heat scenario.

Anthony wouldn’t be making the move with the upcoming season in mind, but more so the summer of 2018 and beyond.

LeBron James and the Lakers have been widely speculated as being a potential partnership when his current contract expires after this upcoming season.

The most recent example of the James to Los Angeles narrative was a recent podcast by media identity and Los Angeles resident, Bill Simmons. While not being supported by any concrete evidence, Simmons summarized the general feeling of many around the league – that James is as good as gone next summer:

"“I do genuinely, honestly, truly believe LeBron will be on the Lakers next year….[LeBron] has not committed long-term to the Cleveland Cavaliers…..And win or lose, he brought Cleveland a title. He has an out. He can finish his career in Los Angeles. His business is here, as we’ve discussed, his family has a giant house here, as we’ve discussed. And most important, they have a ton of cap space.”"

The Lakers have made it crystal clear that they are gearing themselves up for the summer of 2018. Already this offseason, the Lakers’ new president of basketball operations, Magic Johnson, has already dealt away former No. 2 overall pick, D’Angelo Russell, to the Brooklyn Nets in order to rid themselves of the contract of center Timofey Mozgov.

As Simmons mentioned, the Lakers do presently have a ton of cap space available, with just $41.9 million tied up in contracts currently for 2018-19. Granted, acquiring Anthony does eat into some of this space, although his $27.9 million owed for 2018-19 is a player option.

Nonetheless, the Lakers will no doubt be continuing to look to vacate as much future salary as possible. And the following deal certainly accommodates this approach.

While the Lakers are sacrificing a potential future star in Brandon Ingram, they are also wiping their hands clean of the three-years and $54 million remaining on the contract of 32-year-old Luol Deng. The Knicks, meanwhile, would be teaming Ingram with their own emerging star in Kristaps Porzingis.

Furthermore, adding to the James intrigue is the latest Lakers addition of shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Notably, Simmons was quick to jump on Twitter following the signing:

Signing a player, as Simmons referenced, that is tied to James’ Klutch Sports Group is no accident. And signing this player to an extremely generous one-year, $18 million deal is an ingenious way of developing a rapport with James ahead of next summer.

While the Los Angeles Clippers were long considered a landing spot for Anthony, once they dealt away his great friend in Chris Paul, that option more or less disintegrated. But when combining the possibility of a James partnership with the trappings of Los Angeles, this move makes a ton of sense for all parties involved.

2. Houston Rockets

The first step toward acquiring Anthony has already taken place, and it’s possibly the most influential move so far this offseason.

In trading for nine-time All-Star Chris Paul, the Rockets not only provided head coach Mike D’Antoni another elite weapon at his disposal, they also made the franchise an even more attractive destination for prospective players.

And it appears the Rockets and Anthony have a mutual interest.

Recently speaking with Colin Cowherd on The Herd, Morey detailed explained that he was likely not done dealing:

"“We obviously aren’t done….I think to win the title you need as many Team USA Basketball players as you can get as possible….The more USA Basketball players you can have on your team, the better it is.”"

This is clearly an indirect reference to Anthony, who last year made his fourth and final appearance at the Olympic Games for Team USA.

Wanting a player of Anthony’s caliber is one thing. However, putting forward a trade proposition that would satisfy the Knicks is another. In order to get things done, a third team would need to be included:

The third team involved is the Oklahoma City Thunder who are presented an enticing proposition. Although they move on from a key rotation player, they receive an excellent stretch option in Ryan Anderson from the Rockets. And as compensation for taking on the three years and $60 million remaining on Anderson’s contract, the Thunder receive the Rockets’ top-three protected 2018 first round pick. Shawn Long is also included for salary cap purposes.

On the Knicks side, they receive Enes Kanter and the Thunder’s lottery-protected 2018 first round selection. They also receive guard Tim Quarterman for salary cap purposes.

Finally, the Rockets simply receive their desired target in Anthony.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers

This move simply makes the most sense for Anthony on so many levels.

The Cavaliers have LeBron James, who has appeared in the last seven consecutive NBA Finals. The Cavaliers are in the Eastern Conference, and are fresh of their third consecutive NBA Finals appearance.

And most importantly, the Cavaliers are already favorites to the come out of the East, with an owner who has shown in recent seasons a willingness to spend.

One thing is for certain: if Anthony expresses a strong desire to join his buddy James in Cleveland, James will make it known to the Cavaliers’ front office that they should do whatever is necessary to get this done.

Like the deal with the Rockets, a third team will be required in order to satisfy all relevant parties. In this case, the Phoenix Suns are the additional team.

The Suns are giving up their 2018 first round selection not only to have the luxury of bringing Kevin Love aboard, but also ridding themselves of the three years and $43.9 million remaining on the contract of point guard Brandon Knight. On top of this, the Suns are also sacrificing veteran stretch-4 Jared Dudley, and their No. 8 overall pick from 2016, Marquese Chriss.

This leaves the Suns with a starting lineup of Eric Bledsoe, Devin Booker, rookie Josh Jackson, Love and Tyson Chandler. Jackson, the No. 4 overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft, is currently limited in his shooting range, but with the presence of Love and Booker, the likes of Jackson and Chandler can still be utilized on the offensive end.

The Knicks not only receive a first round selection to complement their renewed rebuilding efforts, they add an exciting talent in Chris, and an excellent locker room presence in Dudley.

Overall, this move provides the best of both worlds for Anthony. He gets to team up with a reigning NBA Finalist while enjoying playing with his buddy James.

Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far

In all, this represents a win-win from all sides of the equation.