After hiring a new general manager in Scott Perry, the New York Knicks temporarily halted negotiations with the Houston Rockets regarding a possible trade for Carmelo Anthony. Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne reported that the Knicks want to “reincorporate” Anthony into the organization. However, they added that Anthony might not respond with eagerness about the Knicks current plan.
Recently, it was reported that negotiations between the Rockets and the Knicks were approaching the homestretch, with sources close to New York Daily News' Frank Isola and Stefan Bondy saying that the talks were “at the two-yard line." Instead of a three-team trade, the Rockets added a fourth team to the mix to facilitate the negotiations.
The Knicks ramped up their efforts to trade Anthony after signing Tim Hardaway Jr. to a four-year, $71 million deal. The Knicks revived their discussions with the Rockets, who earlier offered power forward Ryan Anderson and the three years and $61.2 million remaining on his contract to New York.
However, the Knicks rejected the offer as they didn’t want to be saddled with Anderson’s huge deal. A trade between two players with almost identical salaries is a must as the Rockets are about $14.5 million while Anthony is scheduled to make $26.2 million next season.
Knicks changed stance regarding Anthony
Before team president Phil Jackson was fired, he planned on trading Anthony this offseason. He even asked Anthony to waive his no-trade clause if he’s traded to a contender.
The Knicks failed to find an acceptable partner via trade, forcing Jackson to explore buyout talks with Anthony. The buyout didn’t come into fruition as Jackson was fired as team president after three years at the helm.
Anthony declared that he is willing to waive his no-trade clause if he’s traded to the Rockets or the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers have reportedly offered Kevin Love for Anthony but the Knicks preferred to discuss a trade with the Rockets.
Knicks hired Scott Perry as new GM
According to Wojnarowski and Ian Begley of ESPN, the Knicks have reached an agreement in principle with Scott Perry as their new general manager. However, the deal is hinged on the terms of compensation that the Knicks will give to the Sacramento Kings. The Kings allowed the Knicks to interview Perry, their vice president of basketball operations. Perry would report to Steve Mills, who will be promoted as Knicks president.
