Trade Carmelo Anthony to the Los Angeles Clippers
Carmelo Anthony has been the heart and soul of the Knicks ever since he was traded to New York back in 2011; however, the Knicks and Anthony have had too many incidents lately to keep the marriage going on.
Throughout the course of the year, team president Phil Jackson has been critical of Carmelo Anthony‘s play, and as a result, he has been shopping him around to other teams in hopes of facilitating a deal.
This year, Anthony is averaging 23.4 points and 6.4 rebounds a game. Those numbers show how Anthony has been playing like his All-Star self; however, what good is it to have a player of this level on a team who is in clear need of a rebuild? There is none.
Anthony has been an excellent and productive Knick, but because he’ll be turning 33 in May, it’s pointless to have him on a team that’s not going anywhere anytime soon. The issue with trading Anthony though is his contract.
When Anthony resigned with the Knicks back in 2014, he agreed to a five-year max deal which included an opt-out after year four, but also a no-trade clause, as well as a trade kicker. As a result of his no-trade clause and trade kicker, Anthony can veto any deal. He will also get paid more per year if a team chooses to acquire him. It’s been reported that Anthony would waive his no-trade clause to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers would make a great trade partner for the Knicks.
In a deal for Anthony, the Clippers could deal point guard Austin Rivers and former Knick shooting guard Jamal Crawford, as well as their 2021 first round pick. In this deal, the Knicks could potentially get their point guard of the future in Austin Rivers. Rivers is a two-way guard; he is a very good defender, and attacks the rim, in addition to facilitating for his teammates. While Rivers is a backup with the Clippers, the time is now for him to become a starting point guard, and the Knicks are in need of one going forward. Rivers is also on a team friendly deal worth around 12 million per year over the next two years. Jamal Crawford is also under contract for the next two years.
Crawford is on the books for two more years at roughly 14 million a year. If he came back to the Knicks, he’d be a scoring punch off of the bench, and also a veteran presence for younger Knicks such as guard Ron Baker. The Knicks would also be getting the Clippers 2021 first round pick. Why do the Clippers do this deal, though?
The Clippers are currently on the hunt to finally make it to the NBA Finals. To do that, though, they need to surpass the Golden State Warriors. The only way to do that is to get more scoring, and Anthony helps them do just that. He’d be a go-to option in the post and out on the perimeter. Such a move would also pair Anthony with his buddy Chris Paul.
