Carmelo Anthony Trade Rumors: Houston Rockets, New York Knicks Appear Likely To Get Deal Done

The New York Knicks have been trying to trade Carmelo Anthony for a few months, hoping to move on from their star player as they rebuild their roster. With limited options because of Anthony’s no-trade clause, the team appears to have found a viable trade partner that Anthony is willing to play for.

Despite the rumors that Anthony wants to join the Cleveland Cavaliers and play alongside LeBron James, the 10-time All-Star might be more likely to land on the Houston Rockets. New York and Houston have been trying to work out a deal this summer, and the parties involved reportedly believe a deal will eventually get done.

READ: Tim Hardaway Jr. Says He Wants Carmelo Anthony To Stay With Knicks

According to ESPN’s Ian Begley, Anthony is confident that he’ll start the 2017-2018 NBA season with the Rockets. What’s more important is that the two teams reportedly think they will come to an agreement at some point in the offseason.

The logistics of a trade still need to be worked out. Houston would love for New York to take Ryan Anderson off their hands, but the Knicks don’t seem to have any interest in the forward’s three-year contract worth more than $61 million. A trade that gets the Knicks Trevor Ariza and Eric Gordon as the core pieces could work under the salary cap rules, though the Rockets want to keep Ariza, whom new point guard Chris Paul had designs of playing with when he forced a trade from the Los Angeles Clippers.

A third team will likely have to be involved in order for the Knicks to receive any of the young players or draft picks that they hope to receive in exchange for Anthony. The Cavs could also try to get a third team involved to make a deal work, though there have been no recent reports that Cleveland is close to doing so.

The Cavs have few trade assets at their disposal. Iman Shumpert has been mentioned in some trade rumors, as has Kevin Love, though the team has been unsuccessful in their attempts to move the power forward in exchange for another All-Star. Cleveland reportedly tried to acquire both Paul George and Jimmy Butler, but they were traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves, respectively.

The Golden State Warriors are the odds-on favorites to win the 2018 NBA Finals, and that would likely remain the case even if the Rockets acquired Anthony. Adding another dynamic scorer, however, could establish Houston as the No.2 team in the West. Despite teaming Paul up with James Harden already this offseason, the Rockets still sit behind the San Antonio Spurs in terms of betting odds in the Western Conference.

READ: LeBron James, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade Combo Could Team Up In 2018

Anthony hasn’t appeared in the playoffs since 2013 when the Knicks were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in six games in the conference semifinals. He averaged 22.4 points per game a year ago, shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from three-point range.

Houston could make a championship push by trading for both Paul and Anthony this offseason, but there’s a slight chance that both could turn out to be one-year rentals. Paul has one year remaining on his contract, and Anthony has the option to become a free agent in 2018.

The Rockets recently signed Harden to a contract extension that will pay him $228 million over six years.