Carmelo Anthony will be moved
It sure does seem like the relationship between New York Knicks president Phil Jackson and Anthony cannot be salvaged. They’ll tell us what we want to know publicly, much like the Sacramento Kings before they moved DeMarcus Cousins. In no way does this mean that is the truth.
Anthony admitted recently that it’s been difficult for him to have fun playing basketball. Based on what we have seen from the Knicks, both on and off the court, this shouldn’t be a surprise. It’s an unsustainable situation, and will likely lead to Anthony’s departure before Thursday’s deadline.
The question here is where Anthony might end up. A cryptic tweet sent out by Isaiah Thomas on Monday night seemed to suggest that a trade might be in the cards involving the Boston Celtics and a high-profile player. Could it be Anthony?
He would surely act as a tremendous secondary scoring option behind Thomas out on the perimeter, and Boston has the assets to make this work. Even if the first-round pick Boston boasts from Brooklyn is out of the equation here, general manager Danny Ainge and Co. still have the Nets’ first-round pick in 2018 as well as their own. They also boast the likes of Jae Crowder, Avery Bradley and rookie Jaylen Brown, all of whom could potentially be moved.
If not Boston, there’s a hypothetical scenario in play that suggests a team in the Western Conference Playoff race might want to counter New Orleans’ move for DeMarcus Cousins by adding another All-Star player. The Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers all come to mind here.
Either way, it wouldn’t be a major surprise to see Anthony moved between now and the trade deadline come Thursday afternoon. It just makes too much sense for all parties involved.