According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Houston Rockets and New York Knicks have started talks about Carmelo Anthony back up. The two took a break when new Knicks general manager Scott Perry took over. It seems that Houston is the only team New York will deal with, but this is what we know so far.
What we know
Anthony was once reported to saying he would waive his no trade clause for the Cleveland Cavalier, or the Rockets. With the uncertainty of LeBron James and Kyrie Irving's future in Cleveland, Anthony has wanned from saying he will waive his no trade clause.
He has been reported to saying that he sees himself playing for the Rockets next season. The Rockets made a trade for All Star Chris Paul, who is a very close friend to Anthony, as well as signing MVP runner up James Harden to an extension.
The Rockets and Knicks are looking for a third party team to take on the contract of Ryan Anderson. The small forward is still due $60 million over the next three seasons. Financially, the Rockets cannot afford to have Anderson and Anthony on the same roster as Anthony is set to make about $32 million this season.
The Knicks and Rockets were moving along at a quick pace when Phil Jackson was running the show, but Perry is more specific with what he wants in return.
The Knicks want to be younger as they build around their core of Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. The Knicks were once linked to dealing for Kyrie Irving, but Anthony does not want to go to the Cavaliers so that trade is unlikely.
What we don't know
We do not know who the potential third team is. Portland was once rumored, but Anthony would have to take the Trail Blazers off his list of teams he would veto a trade for.
Anthony does not want to take Portland off his list, despite the Trail Blazers hoping that he will consider them as a backup. CJ McCollum has been recruiting Anthony to Portland, which included a picture of Anthony wearing a Trail Blazer jersey on Instagram.
We also do not know what young players the Knicks could receive. The Rockets do not have many players to offer.
The Trail Blazers could have been a match given that Maurice Harkless was once a rumored player that the Knicks were interested in. Meyers Leonard could have been another player that the Knicks would like.
The offseason is coming to a close soon, and it is possible that Anthony could still be a Knick. Despite all these rumors, it would be a sight to see if Irving is still with the Cavaliers, and Anthony is with the Knicks.
