10 NBA players in need of a trade in 2017-18
1. Carmelo Anthony
I mean, duh. Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks are one union in desperate need of a divorce. They may have decided to stay together for the kids, but at this point, even the kids are old enough to understand their parents would be better off on their own.
Even with Phil Jackson no longer around to run him out of town, a Melo trade has felt inevitable all summer. The damage has been done, and Anthony is reportedly open to waiving his no-trade clause to join the Houston Rockets.
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The problem is finding a third party to take on Ryan Anderson‘s contract, since the Knicks don’t want it. RyNo actually had a very good year last year, but the size and length of his contract is giving teams pause.
The problem is Melo’s no-trade clause and his understandable selectivity in waiving it. With only one guaranteed year left on his contract, it’s possible whatever team trades for him would be giving up assets for a one-year rental of a 33-year-old scorer whose best years are clearly behind him.
In any case, it’s time for both parties to move on however they can. The Knicks are trying to build around Kristaps Porzingis and Frank Ntilikina, and tanking for a top-five pick in this year’s draft class would be a good idea. They don’t need Melo dominating the team’s field goal attempts or all the off-the-court drama that follows him ever since Jackson ignited the fuse when he started publicly talking about moving the team’s star.
For Melo, it’s clear he’s never going to bring New York a championship. Now it’s about enjoying his twilight years, possibly in a reduced role for an established playoff team. This would allow him to pick and choose his spots, and on a successful team, perhaps he’d be more efficient and try a little harder on the defensive end.
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After averaging 22.4 points per game last year, Melo still has plenty to offer. Now it’s just a matter of finding the right trade scenario that allows both sides to finally move on.