The Cleveland Cavaliers have a good chance to sign Carmelo Anthony this offseason it the New York Knicks superstar receives a contract buyout. According to Marc Stein and Chris Haynes of ESPN, the Cavaliers are "leading contenders" for Anthony's services and the forward could be acquired by Cleveland before the next season starts.
Carmelo Anthony's career has gone downhill in the last few seasons and he would get a unique opportunity to revive it. He is actually very close to signing with another team but it's up to him whether he wants to leave the New York Knicks or not.
Anthony has a no-trade clause in his contract which allows him to veto any deal he doesn't like. Furthermore, if the Knicks want to buy out his contract, which will probably be the case, the small forward has to agree with the terms.
Carmelo Anthony to the Cleveland Cavaliers
Carmelo Anthony going to Cleveland makes a lot of sense as it would benefit both sides. The Cavaliers would get another superstar as Anthony is a pure scorer who can catch on fire at any point of the game. This would make Cleveland much better and it would increase their chance of winning another championship ring. Beating the Golden State Warriors won't be easy, but Carmelo Anthony could be the key.
Cavs are favorites to land Melo if Knicks star receives buyout this offseason, per @ChrisBHaynes and @ESPNSteinLine https://t.co/J9gPE5aT5r pic.twitter.com/EjIdk4TD5s
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 26, 2017
On the other side, Anthony would finally be on a championship contender.
So far, the small forward has played for two NBA teams and he hasn't had much success in the playoffs. His biggest postseason achievement was reaching the conference finals when he was playing for the Denver Nuggets.
Right now, Carmelo Anthony is one of the best players in the league without a championship ring. If he doesn't want to finish his career and be known as a superstar without a single championship, the smartest move would be to take his talents to Cleveland.
Anthony's current contract
Carmelo Anthony has two more years left on his contract and he will be paid $26.2 million next season. Furthermore, he has a player option on the last year of his contract and he can opt out of it and become a free agent. If he stays with the Knicks, Anthony will be paid almost $28 million for the final season.
However, if he opts out of his contract or the Knicks buy his contract out this summer, he will be a free agent and free to choose which team he wants to sign with. If Anthony joins the Cavaliers, it will most likely be as a free agent. Considering this, it wouldn't be surprising to see him take a pay cut to play for the Cavaliers.
