Earlier today, we told you the Rockets and Knicks were looking for a fourth team to help finalize a trade involving Carmelo Anthony. The Pelicans have expressed interest in becoming that fourth team, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post.
It’s not clear whether New Orleans would take on the three years and more than $61MM left on Ryan Anderson‘s contract or if he would go to another team. Anderson spent four years with the Pelicans franchise before signing with Houston last summer. The Rockets need to move his salary to make room for Anthony, while the Knicks have no need for Anderson because he plays the same position as Kristaps Porzingis and he goes against their new philosophy of avoiding older players on long-term deals.
Representatives for Anthony would like to see the deal get done this week, Berman adds. Houston has scheduled a press conference for Friday to officially welcome Chris Paul, but Berman sees little chance that the trade will be complete in time for Anthony to make a surprise appearance. Multiple sources tell Berman that no deal will happen until “well after” Friday. He states that the sides are getting closer to an agreement and are still “motivated,” but much work still remains. A proposed three-team trade reportedly “stalled” over the weekend, forcing the Rockets and Knicks to start the process over.
Sources tell Berman that Knicks acting president Steve Mills is so focused on the Anthony negotiations that it has prevented the team from finding a veteran point guard. There is speculation that New York may try to fill the position through the Anthony deal.
Houston’s first attempts to acquire Anthony were unsuccessful, Berman adds, because the Knicks were restructuring their front office after former president Phil Jackson was fired. However, owner James Dolan has now signed off on moving Anthony and plans to make Mills the new team president.
Insiders tell Berman that Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni initially wasn’t on board with acquiring Anthony because of their past differences in New York. However, with Paul, James Harden and Nene all pushing for the move, D’Antoni has been left with no choice.
Wow’
I am betting that it isn’t Ryan Anderson they are targeting. I bet it is Eric Gordon and possibly Trevor Ariza. The Pelicans have ZERO use for Anderson.
Yea 19 M on the bench? Lol no injuries of he’s not playing tho
Help, please. How does Anthony fit into what D’Antoni has set up in Houston? Isn’t he just going to slow them down into a half-court team?
Anthony would have to rely more on pull-up’s and rain some threes, which is possibly considering he’s still s great scorer. But I have the same thoughts because he isn’t quick nor does he drive like he used to
possible*
Anthony will adapt to more of a catch and shoot player who’ll get only a few iso plays. I also believe he’ll be put into pick and pop situations with Paul and Harden
He is a league average 3pt shooter. He is one of the best mid range shooters of the last 20 years though, doesn’t fit exactly it’s like he’s a rhombus and they need a square. Good player but not for that system. He’s iso 100%
Anthony’s Olympic highlights show what he could do in the Rocket’s offense. He’ll be a completely different player than when he was with the Knicks
Hope happens and Magic get Magic involved.
I think rockets are better off without him, especially for what it’s going to take to get him and then have no cap room to fill out any sort of roster with a decent bench
Problem: Houston needs somebody to play along side Harden to compete
Solution: get CP3
Problem: there is only one ball on the court and both of them will want it. All the time. Too late in the offseason to push for a rule change to allow two balls.
Solution: trade for Melo
Problem:… uh… can we get three balls on the court?
They could possibly have three players that want the ball all the time. This should be fun to watch. I like the Rockets, but I kinda want to see them get off to s slow start so I can just grab some popcorn and watch the explosion
D’Antoni is a punk, and there is no coach I’d like to see fail. The way he coached the Lakers was a travesty. He basically destroyed Kobe Bryant’s career by not having the stones to keep him out of games (he averaged something like 45 minutes a game under D’Antoni). He also showed zero respect for Pau Gasol. This guy has no class. My prediction: Chris Paul suffers a career-ending knee injury in this system, and Carmelo goes rogue. Gonna get ugly.
Lol ok I hate coach Pringles as much as any but cmon no one benches Kobe. And unfortunately the Lakers needed essentially everything Kobe had to make the playoffs that year. And as far as Pau, what do you think he’s been doing since he left LA? D’Antoni kinda saw what the NBA was transitioning to then. I blame Steve Nash for everything.
That’s pretty intense
Yeah, because Kobe wasn’t a prima Donna or anything and lord of the Lakers over the coach and management.
Knicks get Brandon Knight & Ariza
Houston gets Melo & Chandler
Suns get Ryan Anderson and a future Net’s 2nd
Nets get Eric Gordon
Knicks get Brandon Knight. That’s funny. What’s even funnier is Gordon going to the Nets, who have Lin and Russell already. And even funnier is the Suns taking a big contract and giving up three players, especially Gordon.
Not sure why Knight to the Knicks is comedy material. I wouldn’t rule it out.
Knight is horrible. If you ask him, he’d probably agree.
That doesn’t work for Phx at all. The Suns have two promising first round pick PFs from the 2016 draft. Along with Alan Williams who was just resigned for 3 years. And then where is Ariza going to play with Booker as the star of the team taking up the minutes at SG & first round pick Jackson along with Warren taking the minutes at SF?
Why would the Knicks do this? Ariza is a complimentary piece on a competing team. He is of no use to the Knicks. Knight isn’t very good (low shooting % and poor assist-to-turnover ratio). Knicks would be better off keeping Melo.
Melo has To go, even if they get no one!