Acquire Kyrie Irving for Carmelo Anthony
King James has expressed interest in playing with Melo and CP3. If you’re the Knicks, why not help James get his wish if you can benefit from it too.
It’s hard to imagine the Cavs telling Irving, who arguably hit the biggest shot in team history during game seven of The Finals last June, to move to shooting guard. But they could try to get something in return for him and make room for Paul.
There is the question of whether or not Anthony is still the same player he was a few years ago and the Knicks might have to throw in another player in the deal (possibly Courtney Lee), but it is still a good trade for both sides.
For the Knicks, Irving would give them scoring numbers similar to Melo while also being able to distribute the ball (even if he is not quite the passer Paul is). He and Porzingis would be a staple at the Garden for years to come and could have the Knicks on the path to title contention. Irving, who grew up in the greater New York City area, would probably love running the show in The World’s Most Famous Arena.
For Cleveland, James would have his wish granted of playing with two of his best friends and trying to them win rings. The Cavaliers would still be the best team in the East and one of the favorites to win the title.
Although Anthony has a no-trade clause and continues to say that he wants to remain a Knick, it is tough to see him vetoing a deal that would give him a chance to play win James and an instant shot at winning at becoming an NBA Champion.
The way things currently stand, the chances of a trade like this happening are not high and unless Cleveland could swing a deal with the Clippers for Paul this summer, this type of deal would have to wait till 2018.
However, you never know what could happen, especially in the playoffs. What if the Warriors get the best of the Cavs in The Finals the next two years? If the Cavaliers don’t win multiple titles King James could start convincing their front office to make some changes.
