Carmelo Anthony To Join LeBron James And Cavaliers? Knicks Player Reportedly Willing To Be Traded

The future destination of New York Knicks star forward Carmelo Anthony has been questionable for a while, partly because of his reluctance to be traded — until now. The 10-time NBA All-Star is reportedly willing to waive his no-trade clause to join the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James or the Houston Rockets, according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski Sunday. A deal will only be possible if those respective teams offer enough assets to the Knicks.

The Rockets have reportedly been pursuing a trade for Anthony, but no serious scenarios have come up, according to league sources. The recent trade of All-Star point guard Chris Paul to join up with fellow All-Star James Harden is what made the Rockets an attractive landing spot for Anthony. Paul made clear that he wanted to play with Anthony, sources told ESPN’s Ian Begley last February. And the Cavaliers have been a prospective spot for Anthony since the team is loaded with talent and the leadership of James.

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However, these scenarios are contingent on what’s best for all parties involved. Anthony’s priory is joining a championship contender. And to make room for him, prospective teams will most likely have to swap out substantial assets to fit Anthony in. If he were to go to the Cavaliers, it could be in exchange for All-Star big man Kevin Love, which may or may not make the team stronger. Last season’s loss to the Golden State Warriors showed that the Cavaliers need to stockpile more talent, not just switch out pieces.

The Warriors could make a deal to send Channing Frye and Iman Shumpert to the Knicks in exchange for Anthony, which could get them $20 million and possibly match Anthony’s remaining salary of $26 million— perhaps adding cash considerations and draft picks to sweeten it. But that’s based on the willingness of the Knicks.

The Knicks have been in talks with the Rockets and according to sources, they have been hesitant about the idea of taking forward Ryan Anderson and his bloated contract. He is due $61.3 million for the next three years.

Anthony’s contract is hearty as well. He is owed $54 million guaranteed over the next two years with a trade kicker that could grant him an extra $8.1 million. However, Anthony can eliminate or decrease the trade kicker if need be. Because Anthony’s contract allowed him almost total control of his future, it may be hard for the Knicks to ask for tremendous assets in any deal. Nonetheless, his chances of leaving the Knicks seem to increase daily.

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Anthony’s estranged wife La La Anthony had also confirmed that he may be leaving the Knicks very soon. In a Bravo TV interview Sunday, La La Anthony was asked about her relationship with Carmelo Anthony, his basketball future and if there would be reconciliation.

"That is a real possibility. So we’ll see what happens, I’m watching like everybody else," she said. "Every day, it’s like a different team. My hope is that he ends up somewhere where he’s happy and he can win because he’s such an incredible player and he deserves to win."