Cleveland Cavaliers, along with the Houston Rockets, are favorites to land Carmelo Anthony this summer. It is not a secret that this offseason has gone really bad for the Cavaliers, but they can still save it by trading for Anthony. However, it seems that the New York Knicks had a Change Of Heart as they don't want to trade the superstar anymore. While this could be a setback for the potential trade, the Cavaliers still have a chance to land the 33-year-old small forward.
Make no mistake, landing Carmelo Anthony won't be easy, not for Cleveland nor for any other team in the NBA.
Even though he is coming off one of the least efficient seasons of his career, Melo is still a great player and the Cavaliers know it.
Adding him to the roster would definitely increase their chances of winning a championship next year, as long as they don't trade their own superstar for him.
Carmelo Anthony's potential trade to the Cavaliers
Just a week ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers signed Turkish star Cedi Osman to a three-year deal. It is speculated that the Cavaliers made this move with the intent of trading the young forward to the Knicks for Carmelo Anthony. However, Osman would most likely be included in a package deal with a few more players as his contract isn't big enough to be swapped for Anthony's.
If it turns out that the Cavaliers indeed wants to trade Osman to the Knicks, it could mean that they don't intend to trade Kevin Love. It is essential for them to keep Love on the team as he is a key piece of it. Giving up Love to acquire Anthony would not be a smart idea, so it seems that Cleveland is trying a different approach.
Beside Osman, the Cavaliers would need to add someone like Tristan Thompson and Channing Frye for the trade to work out. There's also a chance they would send Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith back to New York.
Anthony should join the Cavaliers
At the start of this offseason, Carmelo Anthony did not want to be traded. His no-trade clause allows him to reject any trade he doesn't want to be included in and that is why he is still on the Knicks.
However, there is no doubt that Anthony would love to play with LeBron James, who is a good friend of his. Carmelo would most likely reach his first NBA Finals with Cleveland, which is another reason why he should push for the trade. He is not happy that the Knicks attempted to trade him so many times, and according to a few rumors, he is not willing to stay in New York after everything that's happened.