As we await to see whether or not Kyrie Irving gets traded from Cleveland, there are other interesting stories and rumors around the NBA this summer. One of the most popular stories and speculations this summer has been the potential Carmelo Anthony trade. Before Phil Jackson was fired as the president of basketball operations for the New York Knicks, he had publicly stated that he plans to trade Carmelo Anthony. After the Knicks released Phil Jackson earlier this summer, it seemed like the team could find a way to keep Carmelo Anthony in New York, but according to the latest reports, Anthony still wants to leave the Knicks.

His no-trade clause in his contract makes it impossible to move him if he doesn't approve the deal and even though many teams would like to land the All-Star small forward, no deal has been made yet. The one team that was mentioned a lot as the favorites to acquire the 10-time All-Star is the Houston Rockets.

Carmelo teaming up with Harden and Paul?

Only three players in today's NBA have the no-trade clause in their contracts: Dirk Nowitzki, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. After a miserable last season, it became obvious that Anthony wants to move on in his career and leave New York. He openly stated that he wants to be traded either to the Cavaliers or the Houston Rockets. Meanwhile, the Rockets managed to acquire Chris Paul via trade from the Clippers and Carmelo decided that his only option, if he gets traded, is the Rockets.

The 33-year-old veteran reportedly talked to the Knicks front office and told them that he will waive his no-trade clause only for the Rockets. Anthony has a close personal relationship with both Chris Paul and James Harden, and it seems that this is one of the biggest reasons behind his decision. After the talks about this deal slowed down last month, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported last week that the negotiations between the Knicks and the Rockets have resumed.

Apparently the Rockets are looking for a third team that would participate as the partner in this potential deal, as it seems that a deal directly between the two teams could be a difficult one to make.

What's next for the Knicks?

As the Knicks continue to look for the best possible Carmelo Anthony deal, it seems like the team has finally decided to start their rebuilding process.

Earlier this offseason, they signed Tim Hardaway Jr. to a multi-year deal and in this year's NBA Draft they selected the 18-year-old Frank Ntilikina. Hardaway and Ntilikina along with Kristaps Porzingis should be the cornerstones of the franchise for many years to come. Porzingis already proved last season that he is an All-Star caliber player as he averaged 18.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in his second season with the Knicks. The fans in New York are hoping that better days are coming for their Knicks as the team looks to move on without Carmelo Anthony.