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NBA Trade Rumors: 10 Potential Carmelo Anthony Trades

By Gerald Bourguet

Jan 21, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) gestures after a three point basket during the first quarter against the Phoenix Suns at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 21, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) gestures after a three point basket during the first quarter against the Phoenix Suns at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /
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NBA Trade Rumors
Jan 9, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) drives against New Orleans Pelicans small forward Solomon Hill (44) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

8. New Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans need some kind of grand gesture to not only bring in help for Anthony Davis, but to let him know the front office is dedicated to putting a championship-caliber roster around him.

This probably isn’t the right call for that gesture, but it’d be a start and might help make the Pellies a more attractive free agency destination. With Jrue Holiday set to hit free agency this summer and Solomon Hill‘s contract more bloated than his on-court output, NOLA wouldn’t really be losing anything major.

The Pelicans would have to include a future first-rounder to sweeten the pot, so the Knicks would be getting that helpful rebuilding tool AND a potential Derrick Rose replacement in Jrue Holiday, who’d be more worthwhile to re-sign in free agency than Rose.

They’d also get a decent two-way wing/small-ball 4 in Solomon Hill, and this trade would allow Phil Jackson to make up for his egregious error of letting Langston Galloway walk in free agency last summer.

Meanwhile, the Pelicans get a scorer to take pressure off of Anthony Davis, plus a replacement for Jrue Holiday in Brandon Jennings, who is averaging 8.0 points and 4.7 assists in just 23.3 minutes per game. He’s not the most efficient option, but he’d be cheaper than re-signing Holiday in free agency.

Unfortunately, the Pelicans might be better off paying up to retain Holiday’s services compared to downgrading to Jennings, and trading for the 32-year-old Melo isn’t the right step for a franchise trying to assemble a contender around their 23-year-old franchise cornerstone.