NBA Trade Rumors: 10 Potential Carmelo Anthony Trades
Jan 21, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) gestures after a three point basket during the first quarter against the Phoenix Suns at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
According to the latest NBA trade rumors, Carmelo Anthony could be on the move soon. Here’s a look at 10 potential trades that might work for all parties.
When the New York Knicks traded for Carmelo Anthony in 2011, they had dreams of pairing him with Amar’e Stoudemire to build a championship roster. Fast forward six years, and the Knicks have failed to get past the second round as NBA trade rumors swirl around their star player.
Melo will probably always be an underrated superstar in NBA history, with his incredible scoring prowess always being shadowed by his lack of team success — especially compared to his rival from the same draft, LeBron James.
Case in point: The Knicks are just 20-27 this season, good for 11th in the East. With another $26.2 million on his contract for next season, plus a $27.9 million player option for 2018-19, Melo is seen as a hindrance that’s holding back New York’s rebuild centered around Kristaps Porzingis.
Anthony has said over and over that he wants to stay in the Big Apple, but has recently pivoted his position, saying if the Knicks are heading for a rebuild, he’d be open to waiving his no-trade clause. That stipulation gives him the power to veto a trade to any team he doesn’t want to play for, but it feels like this tumultuous relationship is nearing its end.
Melo and team president Phil Jackson have already clashed numerous times, which is why it’s not surprising to hear ESPN reporting that the Knicks have reached out to the Cleveland Cavaliers about a trade. The Vertical also reported that New York contacted the Los Angeles Clippers and Boston Celtics.
Working out a trade for Carmelo Anthony is no easy task. While he can still put the ball in the basket, he’s on a massive contract, he’s 32 years old and he has the power to veto any trade he doesn’t like.
But even at age 32, Anthony is averaging 22.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game on 37.2 percent shooting from three-point range. He still has value, so in the interest of being thorough, here’s a look at some potential Carmelo Anthony trades, why they would work, and why they may ultimately fall through.
Dec 7, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) controls the ball against Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James (23) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Honorable Mentions
Atlanta Hawks:
The Atlanta Hawks get an upgrade at small forward over the underwhelming Kent Bazemore, which might help them convince Paul Millsap to re-sign this summer if there’s enough floor-spacing between Melo and Millsap to make that frontcourt with Dwight Howard work.
The Knicks get a younger small forward, a quality albeit injury-prone center in Tiago Splitter to make Joakim Noah expendable and future first-rounders to help with the rebuild. Unfortunately, the Hawks may prefer flexibility to going all in on a Melo-Millsap-Howard Big Three, and Splitter’s injury history might make this offer more enticing on paper than in real life.
Charlotte Hornets:
By adding Melo, the Charlotte Hornets take the next step in the Eastern Conference and hope Steve Clifford’s defense can cover for his deficiencies on that end. They have to part with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Jeremy Lamb and Frank Kaminsky, but they get a superstar scorer to help their 14th ranked offense.
The Knicks get a young defensive stud in MKG, wing depth with Lamb and another young, underrated player in Kaminsky. But New York might prefer future draft picks to three young but flawed players, and the Hornets may prefer to take a more patient, defensively oriented approach than going all in on a Big Three of Melo, Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum.
Cleveland Cavaliers:
LeBron James himself shot down this idea as “fantasy basketball,” so it’s highly unlikely to see a deal like this. But since the Knicks reached out to the Cleveland Cavaliers about this potential Kevin Love swap, we might as well mention it.
The Cavs are currently in a rut and LeBron and Melo have always wanted to play together. However, Love is the better fit within the offense for his three-point shooting (36.4 percent for his career to Melo’s 34.6 percent), he’s younger and he’s having the better season. This would make far more sense for New York than the defending champs.
Miami Heat:
The Miami Heat have been looking to trade Goran Dragic, and though it’d probably take someone like Tyler Johnson to sweeten the deal, the Knicks need a point guard and might not want to pay to re-sign Derrick Rose over the summer. Though he’s 30 years old, Dragic would be locked in through at least 2018-19, with a player option for 2019-20.
The Knicks would get a new starting point guard and a promising combo guard in Johnson, while the Heat have the 4 and 5 set in stone with Melo and Hassan Whiteside. But if the Heat are trading Dragic, it’ll be to rebuild, not to retool, and the Knicks might not feel they’re getting enough in this deal if they’re even considering re-signing D-Rose.
Orlando Magic:
The Orlando Magic are desperate to return to the playoffs, Serge Ibaka is a free agent this summer and the team has been looking for scoring. Trading for Carmelo Anthony accomplishes that, even if Evan Fournier would have to be attached (and the Knicks may even push for Elfrid Payton too).
The Knicks get a young and talented guard in Fournier and a direct replacement for Melo in Serge Ibaka, who they would attempt to re-sign over the summer. But the Knicks may not want to deal with his upcoming free agency and might believe they could find a better trade package elsewhere. Plus, Melo’s no-trade clause could come into play if he didn’t want to play for a non-playoff team like Orlando.
Los Angeles Lakers:
Melo has a summer home in Los Angeles, so the destination might be enough to get him to waive his no-trade clause despite being sent to a non-contender. The Los Angeles Lakers say they’re rebuilding, but with a promising season under Luke Walton taking a drastic turn for the worse, how long before impatience sets in?
This deal wouldn’t gut the Lakers of their young core, which might not be good enough for the Knicks without some enticing future draft picks attached. Would Jordan Clarkson and future picks be enough to sweeten a less than enticing pot of Nick Young and Jose Calderon? Would Melo even consider this destination? And would the Lakers abandon the rebuild so soon? It all feels unlikely.
Oklahoma City Thunder:
Victor Oladipo, Enes Kanter and Steven Adams are all nice, young players, but Russell Westbrook is definitely lacking a fellow superstar. This trade brings one to the Oklahoma City Thunder, albeit at the cost of an extremely efficient sixth man in Kanter and a promising young rookie in Domantas Sabonis.
The Knicks get two young players, but that might not be enough without draft picks attached. They may also prefer a future point guard prospect like Cameron Payne to Sabonis, but either way, would Melo waive his no-trade clause to head to a tougher conference where he, Russ, Oladipo and Adams probably wouldn’t be enough to make the Thunder title contenders anyway?
Jan 23, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) hugs New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
10. Indiana Pacers
This would be a sudden and drastic roster shake-up just a few months after trading for Thaddeus Young and Jeff Teague, but the Indiana Pacers have been undeniably underwhelming so far in 2016-17, and this particular blow-up doesn’t include Paul George, so why not?
The Pacers get a replacement starting point guard for Teague in Brandon Jennings, they clear out Rodney Stuckey to make life easier on Monta Ellis off the bench and they add a talented scorer to the league’s 18th-ranked offense in Carmelo Anthony.
There’d be some positional overlap between Melo and Paul George, since the NBA’s small-ball direction has made both small forwards more effective when playing at the 4, but between Anthony, PG-13 and Myles Turner, that’s an awful lot of talent to defend in the frontcourt.
At 23-22, the Pacers haven’t lived up to their preseason billing, especially on the offensive end. This deal brings in more firepower and provides the roster with the shakeup it might require.
For the Knicks, they get a starting small forward who’s been knocking down threes at a career-high 42.3 percent clip this season, a starting point guard who’d be a much more preferable candidate to re-sign in free agency than Derrick Rose, and a proven bench scorer in Rodney Stuckey.
The pitfalls here are that Larry Bird might not want to trade for a 32-year-old star who’s past his prime, especially since this hasty trade would take a toll on Indiana’s defense. The Knicks might also prefer to re-sign D-Rose this summer and believe they could do better elsewhere in a potential Melo deal. There’s also no guarantee Anthony would waive his no-trade clause to go to Indiana.
Dec 2, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves small forward Andrew Wiggins (22) controls the ball against New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
9. Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves have reportedly been shopping point guard Ricky Rubio, and if the Knicks are smart, they’ll stay far away from the hefty price tag Derrick Rose will be seeking in free agency. This trade brings in a starting point guard to replace Rose, a developing bench scorer and either a quality backup big or a future first round pick.
Rubio is a highly underrated floor general, and though his shooting woes are well-documented by now, that hasn’t stopped him from being a solid facilitator and excellent perimeter defender.
Shabazz Muhammad is seen as something of a head case, but he’s proven himself this season as a up-and-coming sixth man presence, averaging 8.4 points per game on .463/.426/.793 shooting splits off the bench.
The Knicks could push for Gorgui Dieng as a Joakim Noah replacement and future backup for Kristaps Porzingis, but if that’s too much young talent to surrender for the Wolves, perhaps a future first round pick would make for a viable substitute.
For the Timberwolves, it might seem silly to ship off Rubio and Muhammad for a 32-year-old on his way down like Melo, especially in the event Dieng is attached, but the playoffs are still within reach and Tom Thibodeau doesn’t exactly strike anyone as the patient type.
Minnesota could use a veteran presence to help scorers like Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine develop, and they’d be paving the way for Kris Dunn to start, which is what the front office wants.
However, Melo wouldn’t help at all with that 23rd-ranked defense, he’d take touches away from the younger guys and as much as the Wolves want him to be ready, Dunn just isn’t ready to take over the starting job. Also, good luck convincing Melo to waive his no-trade clause to aid a rebuilding project in freezing Minnesota.
Jan 9, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) drives against New Orleans Pelicans small forward Solomon Hill (44) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
8. New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans need some kind of grand gesture to not only bring in help for Anthony Davis, but to let him know the front office is dedicated to putting a championship-caliber roster around him.
This probably isn’t the right call for that gesture, but it’d be a start and might help make the Pellies a more attractive free agency destination. With Jrue Holiday set to hit free agency this summer and Solomon Hill‘s contract more bloated than his on-court output, NOLA wouldn’t really be losing anything major.
The Pelicans would have to include a future first-rounder to sweeten the pot, so the Knicks would be getting that helpful rebuilding tool AND a potential Derrick Rose replacement in Jrue Holiday, who’d be more worthwhile to re-sign in free agency than Rose.
They’d also get a decent two-way wing/small-ball 4 in Solomon Hill, and this trade would allow Phil Jackson to make up for his egregious error of letting Langston Galloway walk in free agency last summer.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans get a scorer to take pressure off of Anthony Davis, plus a replacement for Jrue Holiday in Brandon Jennings, who is averaging 8.0 points and 4.7 assists in just 23.3 minutes per game. He’s not the most efficient option, but he’d be cheaper than re-signing Holiday in free agency.
Unfortunately, the Pelicans might be better off paying up to retain Holiday’s services compared to downgrading to Jennings, and trading for the 32-year-old Melo isn’t the right step for a franchise trying to assemble a contender around their 23-year-old franchise cornerstone.
Jan 19, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) drives against Washington Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. (22) during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. Washington Wizards won 113-110. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
7. Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards have found their rhythm, winning 22 of their last 33 games to rise to fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings. But no one will be mistaking them for a legitimate threat to the Cavaliers anytime soon, even with John Wall and Bradley Beal playing the best basketball of their careers.
Otto Porter Jr. is starting to look like the third piece to complement Washington’s star duo, and if Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t exist, his 14.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game on .533/.456/.785 shooting splits would make him the favorite for the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award.
But he’s no superstar, and if the Wizards want to make a jump in the East, bringing aboard a third star could be the quickest path before Wall and Beal start feeling restless. Melo would get served up easy looks on a platter by one of the NBA’s elite facilitators, and he’d enjoy the floor-spacing Beal would provide as well.
In the event the Wizards aren’t interested in parting with Porter, perhaps something like Markieff Morris, Kelly Oubre Jr. and a future draft pick might make up the difference. Ian Mahinmi would be included for salary-matching purposes in either hypothetical deal, but he wouldn’t cost Washington much since he’s played a grand total of 14 minutes due to injury.
Trading for an injured player is always risky, but Mahinmi is locked in for the long-term and would make Joakim Noah expendable for New York once he returns. Porter would be a tremendous asset at 23 years old, or the Knicks could settle for a stretch-4 in Morris and a promising young wing in Oubre.
In the second scenario, the Wizards would receive Justin Holiday to help balance things out and give them a replacement wing.
However, Washington may be content with its internal growth, especially when it comes to Porter, and may prefer to see how things pan out once Mahinmi is healthy rather than opt for a serious roster shakeup midseason. Plus, Melo may not waive his no-trade clause to be the third member of Washington’s Big Three.
Nov 1, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Marcus Morris (13) controls the ball defended by New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the forth quarter at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
6. Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons have fallen out of the playoff picture at 21-25, but a roster shakeup could be the cure. As much as Stan Van Gundy is telling Reggie Jackson he’s not going to trade him for Ricky Rubio, we can’t overlook that the Pistons are 10-15 in the 25 games he’s played…compared to 11-10 when Ish Smith was at the helm.
With so much scoring on the rest of the roster, switching to a pass-first point guard like Smith would make sense, and bringing aboard Carmelo Anthony would only aid the league’s 22nd-ranked offense.
It’d cost Detroit their 26-year-old starting point guard and a versatile stretch-4 who’s having the best season of his career, but the Pistons would have a pretty formidable frontcourt with Marcus Morris, Melo, Andre Drummond and Tobias Harris coming of the bench, especially with Smith there to set them all up.
The Knicks would get their franchise point guard for the future, plus a highly underrated power forward who could spread the floor and shift Kristaps Porzingis to his true position at center in time. Jon Leuer isn’t close to a household name, but his 11.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in just 26.7 minutes per game speak for themselves.
The problem here is the Pistons may choose to remain patient and hope Jackson can regain proper form rather than deal for a 32-year-old star in his twilight years, even if he’d help them with their playoff push.
Two players over the age of 26 might not be enough of a rebuilding return for New York, and there’s no guarantee Melo would waive his no-trade clause to play for a coach who’s notoriously hard on star players.
Dec 17, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Will Barton (5) guards New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) in the third quarter at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 127-114. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
5. Denver Nuggets
Don’t laugh. As much as Denver Nuggets fans would pretend to be bitter about the return of Carmelo Anthony, all would be forgiven if he helped nudge this team back into the playoffs for the first time since 2013.
This might not be the ideal trade destination for Melo, but if he’s going to play for a non-contender, it might as well be somewhere he’s familiar with, somewhere he enjoyed playing, and somewhere he could restore his league-wide reputation with some good will and veteran leadership for his old team.
It’d be unfortunate for Danilo Gallinari to be traded for Carmelo Anthony a second time, but Melo would address a position of need at the 4. It’d be fun to see him in a Nuggets jersey again, he could help the youngsters develop, and he’d undoubtedly aid the final playoff push.
For the Knicks, they’d be getting a former fan favorite back in Gallo, a quality sixth man or starter on the wing in Will Barton, and a great young player no matter whether they opted for Jamal Murray or Jusuf Nurkic.
The problem here is that with Nikola Jokic‘s hip injury Thursday night, the Nuggets might be more hesitant to part with Nurkic now. That confines the options for that third piece to Murray, a rookie combo guard the team really likes after he played so well in Gary Harris‘ absence.
The Knicks would probably prefer Murray anyway since he could possibly be groomed into a point guard, but this deal still feels unlikely. The Nuggets have the assets to trade for a star, but they may be hesitant to use them on a 32-year-old, especially with all the bad blood that’s there on Denver’s part.
A homecoming for Melo would be a lot of fun, but the Nuggets might prefer to keep their fan favorites and youth intact until a better deal presents itself.
Nov 6, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) dribbles the ball against Utah Jazz power forward Derrick Favors (15) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Utah won 114-109. Mandatory Credit: Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
4. Utah Jazz
Jazz get PF - Carmelo Anthony
Even a year ago, a deal like this would’ve seemed foolhardy for the Utah Jazz. But we can’t pretend like Derrick Favors is the same player he was a year ago, with his role and numbers shrinking to 9.3 points and 6.0 rebounds in just 23.3 minutes per game this season.
Sure, those numbers might look better if he hadn’t spent so much time working his way back from a knee injury, but he just hasn’t looked the same since. He doesn’t spread the floor playing alongside Rudy Gobert, and with his free agency coming up after the 2017-18 season, the prudent decision might be focusing on Gordon Hayward‘s free agency and cutting ties now.
Favors is only 25 years old, making him seven years younger than Melo. This could just be a blip on an otherwise prosperous career, and his defensive impact shouldn’t be overlooked just because his numbers are down.
That being said, the Jazz have been trying to make the leap for years now. Trading for another veteran and proven star like Melo would not only help Utah’s 11th ranked offense, but Gobert and their second-ranked defense might be able to cover for his shortcomings on that end.
The Jazz would have to give up on Favors, while also shipping off sixth man Alec Burks and backup point guard Shelvin Mack, but it might be worth it, especially since Utah has plenty of guards and Burks only just recently returned.
The Knicks would get a starting-caliber power forward to pair with Kristaps Porzingis at the 5, a backup point guard in Mack, and a dynamic young scoring guard in Burks. If Utah can bear to part with a player they’ll have trouble affording a year down the line anyway, trading for Melo and accelerating this team’s ascension in the West isn’t the worst idea.
However, the Jazz may prefer to ride it out with this current group and try to snag that fourth seed in the Western Conference playoffs. There’s also no guarantee Melo would waive his no-trade clause to head to Salt Lake City, even if he’d be playing on a playoff team there.
Jan 23, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) passes the ball against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
3. Los Angeles Clippers
Before you ask, there’s no way the Knicks can trade Melo for Blake Griffin straight up. There’s a provision in the CBA that prevents a team from trading for a designated max contract if it already has one on the same roster, and thanks to Derrick Rose, that prevents New York from trading for Griffin.
According to a report from the New York Daily News, trade talks with the Los Angeles Clippers haven’t even included Griffin, Chris Paul or DeAndre Jordan anyway. So that leaves us with the following question: What the hell else can the Clippers offer that would entice the Knicks?
J.J. Redick is Lob City’s most attractive trade piece outside of the Big Three, but he’s on an expiring contract and the Knicks would have to be confident in their ability to re-sign a sharpshooter whose services would be coveted by more attractive contenders around the league.
That leaves us with some kind of offer like Austin Rivers, Jamal Crawford, rookie center Diamond Stone and a 2021 first round pick — the soonest Doc Rivers could offer a first-rounder thanks to the Ted Stepien Rule.
That might not be enough for the Knicks, even with Rivers having a career year and proving himself as a legitimate NBA player. If the Clippers include Redick and New York believes it can re-sign him this summer, then we might be on to something.
More than likely though, a deal with the Clippers would have to bring in a third team with draft picks to offer, at which point Los Angeles would probably have to wrap its head around dealing Griffin to that third party.
Melo and Chris Paul are friends, which would make it easier to re-sign CP3 this summer if (and when) he opts out of the final year of his contract. It’d also keep a Big Three in Lob City, prying that title contention window open for a little while loner.
However, it’s hard to see how Melo is an upgrade over Griffin at the 4 unless the front office fears losing Griffin and/or CP3 to free agency. That’s a pretty old core to try and contend with, and all this is contingent on either finding a third party or hoping the Knicks get desperate and accept a lesser offer.
The Clippers are one team Melo would be interested in playing for since they’re competitive and located in Los Angeles, but a new Big Three — or a Big Four — feels unlikely.
Jan 15, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN: New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) bounces a pass defended by Toronto Raptors forward DeMarre Carroll (5) in the first quarter at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
2. Toronto Raptors
Like the Boston Celtics, the Toronto Raptors need to make some kind of blockbuster trade if they want to legitimately challenge LeBron James’ reign in the East. Their target should be Paul Millsap, but if the Hawks are no longer looking to deal him, Melo is one superstar alternative.
While he wouldn’t improve their 16th-ranked defense in the slightest, he would give them an extra scoring punch and form a formidable Big Three with Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. This would give us a chance to see what Melo could do in a potential conference finals against his rival, and depending on what Toronto had to give up, it could be enough to seriously threaten the Cavs.
One version of the deal would feature DeMarre Carroll, Patrick Patterson and Normal Powell. It’d hurt to lose defensive players like Carroll and Patterson, but they’re almost essential because their contracts would be needed for salary-matching services.
The Knicks would enjoy the boost on the defensive end, and they’d love to get their hands on a young prospect like Norman Powell, who many Raptors fans believe to be untouchable in potential trade talks. Powell isn’t that essential, but it’d definitely hurt to part ways with the promising 23-year-old guard.
To that end, the Raptors would probably try to push for something more like Carroll, Patterson, rookie Jakob Poeltl and a future 1st round draft pick, avoiding including Powell if at all possible.
Poeltl has a promising future in this league, but he hasn’t been able to show it in a crowded Raptors frontcourt that’s trying to contend now. Giving up a first-rounder in addition to Carroll and Patterson is the price of business if Powell isn’t included.
The Knicks would be getting an excellent-when-healthy 3-and-D wing in Carroll, a useful role player they could re-sign in Patterson and a young prospect either way. Toronto has the Clippers’ 2017 first-rounder to offer in addition to Poeltl, or they could offer their own in a future draft.
However, the Raptors may not believe Melo to be the piece that gets them over the hump in the East, especially at the price of two important defensive players and one intriguing youngster (no matter which one it is). Toronto is a great city that might get Melo to waive his no-trade clause while playing for an Eastern power, but it’s not guaranteed either.
Jan 18, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) shoots against Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) and center Al Horford (42) in the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
1. Boston Celtics
If the Boston Celtics want Carmelo Anthony, they have the most potential options to put together an adequate trade package. They have a collection of assets and useful role players to choose from, and a player like Melo might be enough to make them a serious threat to the Cavaliers.
General manager Danny Ainge wouldn’t deal the Brooklyn Nets’ 2017 first round pick for a 32-year-old Melo, especially since that pick is slotted to be the No. 1 selection at the moment. The question is, could Ainge get away with a trade that doesn’t involve one of Jae Crowder, Marcus Smart or Avery Bradley?
If the Knicks are smart, the answer to that question would be “no.” But that won’t stop Ainge from trying for something like Amir Johnson (who’d be almost essential to a Melo trade for salary-matching purposes), Tyler Zeller, Terry Rozier and the 2018 Brooklyn Nets first-rounder to start.
Johnson is a useful two-way player, Zeller is a backup big and Rozier is a 22-year-old NBA sophomore who’s shown flashes of potential but little more. The real asset would be Brooklyn’s 2018 first-rounder, but the actual players being swapped might not be good enough.
An alternative might be something like Amir Johnson, rookie Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart, but a pick would be overkill and the Celtics are high on the potential of both Smart and Brown.
A fair deal for both sides would probably look something like Amir Johnson, Jae Crowder and the 2018 Nets pick, though it’d kill Boston to part with a hard worker like Crowder. A useful stretch-4 like Jonas Jerebko could be thrown in with certain deals as well.
As much as it’d hurt to part with Crowder though, his defense hasn’t been quite as good this season. With Gordon Hayward hitting free agency this summer, head coach Brad Stevens could potentially replace Crowder on the wing by signing his former Butler star.
A core of Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Hayward, Melo, Al Horford, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown and a top-three pick from this year’s draft would be a force to be reckoned with for years to come, so if Ainge is willing to part with Crowder and a valuable Nets pick to make it happen, the Celtics would have the inside track on a Carmelo Anthony trade.
The problem is, if Ainge isn’t willing to deal for an ideal two-way fit like Paul Millsap, trading for Melo might make even less sense. The Knicks would be wise to push for a deal with the Celtics, but if Boston doesn’t view Anthony as the missing piece it needs to get over the hump, the point is moot.
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