NBA Rumors: Carmelo Anthony To Cleveland? Cavaliers Could Trade Crowder, Shumpert & Own 2018 First-Rounder
After trading Kyrie Irving, rumors and speculation still continue to swirl around the Cleveland Cavaliers, and this time, they could be revisiting their interest in New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony. The 10-time NBA All-Star stood firm with his decision that he wants to move to another team, specifically the Houston Rockets. However, the latest rumors suggest that Anthony may consider waiving his no-trade clause for the Cavaliers to team up with LeBron James; even for just one season.
Several NBA superstars have already been moved to another team this offseason, including Chris Paul, Paul George, Jimmy Butler, and Kyrie Irving. Meanwhile, Carmelo Anthony, who has been frequently mentioned in various trade rumors, remains as a member of the Knicks. Anthony openly expressed his desire to leave New York, with the Rockets as his lone preferred trade destination.
Unfortunately, the Rockets don’t have enough trade assets to make a deal, unless the Knicks are willing to take back Ryan Anderson and his expensive contract or they managed to find a third team to facilitate the trade. Before the February trade deadline, Carmelo Anthony named the Cavaliers as one of the three teams for which he was willing to waive his no-trade clause. The Knicks asked for Kevin Love in order to trade Anthony, but the Cavaliers refused.
According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, the Irving-James feud lessened Anthony’s desire to join the Cavaliers. However, after the successful Cavs-Celtics blockbuster trade, the 33-year-old star forward may revisit his interest to team up with “The King.” Even without trading Kevin Love, the Cavaliers are still in a strong position to acquire Anthony from the Knicks.
As Berman noted, the Knicks see Jae Crowder as an attractive piece and may also consider bringing back Iman Shumpert to New York. Per NBA rules, the Cavaliers will need to wait for 60 days to move Crowder. Also, after acquiring the Brooklyn Nets’ unprotected 2018 first-round pick, Cleveland is now permitted to trade their own first-round pick.
Never miss a moment with a 2017-18 Full Season Plan, now on sale at https://t.co/fn85V5Hfi8. #Knicks #NewYorkForever pic.twitter.com/47UwJPRpDf
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) August 25, 2017
On Thursday night, the Knicks announced their new season-ticket plans on Twitter. The tweet was accompanied by a photo featuring Kristaps Porzingis, Willy Hernangomez, and Frank Ntilikina. Some fans noticed the absence of Melo, who’s considered as the Knicks’ most famous player. Greg Joyce of New York Post believes that this could be a sign that the Knicks are already excluding Carmelo Anthony from all their plans.
So far, there is no official confirmation whether the Cavaliers will push a Carmelo Anthony trade or not. If the Cavaliers are serious about acquiring him, LeBron James may convince Melo to waive his no-trade clause for them. Expect more updates regarding the rumors as the 2017-18 NBA season draws near.
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