The Knicks have reportedly agreed to trade Carmelo Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a package centered around Enes Kanter.
It’s finally over with. Carmelo Anthony has been traded. But it wasn’t to the Houston Rockets. The New York Knicks shipped the ten-time All-Star off to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the two sides agreed to a deal that sends Anthony to OKC and sends Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott, and Chicago’s 2018 second-round pick back to New York.
New York has agreed to a deal to send Carmelo Anthony to OKC for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and a draft pick, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 23, 2017
Per Woj, Russell Westbrook and Paul George played a big part in convincing Melo to waive his no-trade clause to join the small market Thunder.
This is a huge deal for the Knicks to finally get Anthony off their roster, but the return is questionable at best. In a deal like this, whoever New York got back would be analyzed to death.
Kanter and McDermott aren’t game changers. Kanter was benched during the 2017 playoffs due to poor defense and McDermott struggles on the defensive end as well.
It’s a bad look that the Knicks weren’t able to obtain a first-round pick for Anthony.