Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks haven't been exactly the perfect fit, and it was obvious that something was wrong. Phil Jackson, the former Knicks president, wanted to trade Anthony to another team, but the small forward's no-trade clause prevented it. However, this summer brought many changes to the Knicks and both Jackson and Anthony are no more part of the team.
Earlier today, it was reported that the Knicks were looking to trade Carmelo Anthony by Monday. It was the Houston Rockets who were the favorites to land Anthony, but the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City Thunder were mentioned as his potential landing spots as well.
At the end, it was the Thunder who managed to acquire the superstar small forward.
Carmelo Anthony's trade to Oklahoma
While the Rockets were favorites to land Anthony, they couldn't offer the Knicks a good deal for him. Ryan Anderson's big contract was a big issue and the Knicks didn't want to take it. The Cavaliers have had their fair share of drama this offseason as well, and Kyrie Irving's departure was a big reason why they couldn't land Carmelo.
Oklahoma City Thunder have done a great job this offseason, but no one could have imagined they could acquire Carmelo Anthony. However, the team agreed to send Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and a draft pick to the New York Knicks.
New York has agreed to a deal to send Carmelo Anthony to OKC for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and a draft pick, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 23, 2017
While Kanter and McDermott are great bench players, it is undoubtful that they will have a much bigger role in New York.
Beside them, the Thunder sent a 2018 second-round pick to the Knicks. This is the pick the Thunder acquired from the Chicago Bulls earlier this year. Interestingly enough, both McDermott and the pick were traded to the Thunder this year, and now they are both going to New York.
The Thunder will be amazing
In early July, the Oklahoma City Thunder traded for Paul George.
Combining George with reigning MVP Russell Westbrook was a big move and one that would turn the Thunder into contenders in the West. They acquired George from the Indiana Pacers and they didn't lose any key pieces in the process.
Now, they added Carmelo Anthony to their roster, which was already great even before him. Even though Anthony's prime is over, he can still play well and be a major contributor.
With three superstars on the team and a solid bench, the Oklahoma City Thunder will be nothing but amazing. They finished sixth in the West last season, but after adding two superstars, they will definitely be one of the best teams in the league.