Knicks Expected To Renew Carmelo Anthony Talks

After signing Tim Hardaway Jr. to a lucrative new deal, the Knicks are expected to renew their willingness to collaborate with the Rockets on trade scenarios to unload Carmelo Anthonywrites Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The Rockets have been persistent in their pursuit of Anthony, who remains willing to waive his no-trade clause to join Chris Paul and James Harden in Clutch City, per Wojnarowski. ESPN’s report, citing league sources, notes that the Knicks “do not imagine a scenario where Hardaway Jr. is sharing the floor with Anthony to start the season.” The Knicks now have $97.7MM in committed salary for the 2017/18 season with 10 guaranteed contracts, per Bobby Marks of ESPN, so moving Anthony would be one path to regaining a little financial flexibility.

Sam Amico of Amico Hoops provides further context as to what factors figure to be holding up an Anthony trade between the Knicks and either the Rockets or Cavaliers. Since Anthony possesses a no-trade clause, the Knicks’ options may be limited to these two teams.

Amico writes that the Knicks do not particularly want to take back Rockets forward Ryan Anderson and the Cavs aren’t eager to part with forward Kevin Love in a deal for Carmelo. The piece also states that Cleveland has floated Turkish draft-and-stash prospect Cedi Osman to entice New York, but Osman would come attached to multiple unappealing contracts. Amico suggests that the Cavs are content to play the waiting game in hopes that the Knicks cannot reach a deal with the Rockets and resort to buying Melo out.

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