New York Knicks: 5 potential Carmelo Anthony trades
By Simon Smith
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.