NBA Trade Rumors 2014: New York Knicks Could Deal Carmelo Anthony Before February Deadline
Carmelo Anthony is expected to be one of the biggest subjects of NBA trade rumors in the coming weeks, and reports say that the New York Knicks could consider moving the All-Star forward.
Anthony is growing unhappy in New York due to their inconsistencies this season, which is almost a complete turnaround of their performance last year when they finished second to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference regular season standings with their 54-28 record.
And with Anthony's impending free agency after the season, the Knicks could lose the superstar forward for nothing, unless their front office strikes dramatic deals that would convince Anthony to stay and continue chasing his first NBA title in New York.
"The Knicks have a month to make moves to entice Anthony to stay or to explore what they can get for him. That's the primary job of the Knicks' front office between now and the Feb. 20 trade deadline: Find out whether Anthony is fully committed to returning and what it will take," NewsDay reported.
And if the Knicks think that Anthony will indeed bolt out of New York next summer, league executives believe that the Knicks should start looking for trades that they could make before the deadline.
Previous rumors suggested that the Knicks had internal discussions about the possibility of trading Anthony to the Los Angeles Clippers for Blake Griffin, but the rumored deal was already squashed by coach Doc Rivers.
Previous reports also identified the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers as two of Anthony's three preferred destinations when he hits free agency this summer.
The Bulls and the Lakers are not expected to trade for Anthony before the deadline though, since both teams are expected to have cap space next offseason to acquire the 29-year-old forward without giving up any asset.
With reports saying that Anthony is slowly losing his patience, the Knicks have no choice but to turn their season around or hope that the 11-year-veteran decides to settle for a bigger salary next summer. The Knicks can offer $34 million more than what other teams can put on the table.
"If Anthony finishes the season with the Knicks, they can pay him $34 million more than any other team. That's hard to turn down, but if winning matters more, the money might not be enough," the NewsDay report concluded.