New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony has yet to waive his no-trade clause for the Portland Trailblazers. Damian Lillard thinks he’ll open up.
It’s no secret that the New York Knicks have been trying to trade Carmelo Anthony for…a while. But with a no-trade clause in his contract, ‘Melo holds the power and ultimately decides where he will end up.
So far, Anthony’s preference remains the Houston Rockets, who traded for his close friend Chris Paul earlier this summer.
Despite his obvious desire to play in Houston, guards Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum have been actively recruiting him to Portland.
It’s unclear whether Anthony has any interest in playing with the Trailblazers, who finished 41-41 and 8th in the Western Conference last year.
In a recent interview with Sam Amico of Amico Hoops, Lillard admitted that he is still actively recruiting Anthony, even with training camp just weeks away.
“I didn’t want to press, I ain’t a big fan of doing all the extra recruiting and all that stuff. And I guess they call it tampering or whatever. It’s not against the rules for us to interact with each other.”
The Portland point guard admits there’s not much left he can do, but doesn’t plan on quitting just yet.
“I’m not giving up on anything, I just think I’ve done what I can do.”
With a trade to the Houston Rockets becoming more and more unlikely, maybe Anthony will opt to join the Trailblazers. It’s certainly the best outcome for New York, who wouldn’t mind receiving a young player like Moe Harkless in return.
There are two weeks until training camp. As we inch closer to what feels like a date that will cement Anthony’s fate, expect the rumors to continue swirling, and Portland’s guards to continue recruiting.