Carmelo Anthony finally got his wish to get out of the Big Apple after the New York Knicks traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder for big man Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and a 2018 second-round pick. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN first reported the deal while Shams Charania of The Vertical gave details of what the Knicks are getting for Anthony. Wojnarowki also reported that reigning MVP Russell Westbrook and All-Star forward Paul George played “an immense part” in convincing Anthony to waive his no-trade clause for the Thunder.

Wojnarowski also reported that the 33-year-old Anthony will waive his $8.1 million trade kicker to accommodate the trade, which will be finalized after Monday’s trade call to the league office.

Wojnarowski also mentioned that Anthony will arrive in Oklahoma City Monday to take a physical and join practice with his new teammates Tuesday at the opening of the Thunder's training camp.

The trade came a day after Anthony added the Thunder and the Cleveland Cavaliers to his list of preferred trade destinations. Before that, Anthony said he’s only willing to waive his no-trade clause for the Houston Rockets, where he wanted to join close friend Chris Paul and James Harden. In acquiring Anthony, the Thunder did not give up any major key pieces as the presence of Steven Adams limited Kanter’s playing time. George’s arrival will also mean less action for McDermott.

Trade moves a risk for Thunder

The move was a big-time risk for the Thunder as George and Anthony can both turn free agents in 2018, so is Westbrook if he doesn’t sign the five-year, $207-million extension that Oklahoma City placed on the table. There were rumors that George and Westbrook could join forces with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018.

Until now, Westbrook has not signed the supermax contract extension. The Thunder have until Oct. 16 to sign Westbrook to an extension. If not, he may leave the Thunder in 2018, just like what happened to Kevin Durant when he signed with the Golden State Warriors last season.

Kanter bids goodbye to OKC

The trade came as a surprise for Kanter, who earlier called the city “Okla-Home” in response to Durant’s tweets criticizing Thunder coach Billy Donovan and the roster.

On Saturday, Kanter posted a video on his Twitter account, thanking the organization and the people of Oklahoma City.

He also urged his former teammates to beat the “Warriors for me" adding: “Please, I'm gonna be watching that game, so please beat the Warriors for me,”. Kanter stated that he has no hard feelings about the trade, saying “I understand it’s a business.” Last season, Kanter averaged 14.3 points and 6.7 boards for the Thunder last season despite limited playing time.
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