NBA rumors about a Carmelo Anthony trade can finally go dormant. The New York Knicks traded Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder this weekend, creating a pretty epic scoring trio in OKC that immediately makes the team much better on the court. The main question, though, is whether Oklahoma City is now good enough to compete with the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference.
To complete the deal for Anthony, the Knicks get center Enes Kanter, forward Doug McDermott, and a 2018 second-pick that used to belong to the Chicago Bulls. Giving up Kanter is a bold move by the front office in OKC, but the franchise really wanted to give Russell Westbrook another weapon on offense.
Is this enough to elevate the team back to where it was when Kevin Durant and James Harden were still on the roster?
How valuable is Carmelo Anthony to the OKC roster?
Last season, with the New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony averaged 22.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. He was playing 34.3 minutes a night for the struggling franchise while shooting 35.9 percent from three-point range and 83.3 percent from the free throw line. Anthony is capable of creating his own shot and has been adept at getting to the free throw line for most of his career.
With a trio or Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony leading the way, the Oklahoma City Thunder will score a lot of points during the 2017-18 NBA season.
There is no question that the team has vastly improved its offense by acquiring George from the Indiana Pacers and Anthony from the New York Knicks this offseason. But can they play good enough defense to compete with some of the other “beasts” in the Western Conference?
Vegas odds for OKC title
While the Las Vegas odds for which team will emerge from the Western Conference this year may shift, currently the Carmelo Anthony acquisition hasn’t done much for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The team is still predicted to finish behind the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, and Houston Rockets. They are predicted to win one or two more games after the trade with the Knicks, but it isn’t enough to project a higher playoff seed (yet).
The Houston Rockets traded for Chris Paul this offseason, giving the team its own roster boost.
It also hurt the Los Angeles Clippers, making it possible for OKC to move up the predicted standings. Over in the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers traded Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics, continuing a trend of superstars shifting teams before the 2017-18 NBA season. The Oklahoma City Thunder then swooped in to get Carmelo Anthony, instantly improving the team, which has been in conjunction with NBA rumors about the team trying to keep Russell Westbrook happy.
