The New York Knicks reportedly have tried to trade superstar forward Carmelo Anthony but had their offer rejected.
ESPN’s Marc Stein and Chris Haynes, citing sources, reported Wednesday that it was the Cleveland Cavaliers who denied the Knicks’ attempt.
LeBron James wants the Cavs’ front office to give him some help, but the team doesn’t have many quality trade assets aside from Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and James himself. They already traded a first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks for sharpshooter Kyle Korver.
Anthony has a no-trade clause in his contract but probably would waive it to play with his friend James and have a chance to win his first NBA Finals. His contract also is tough to trade because of his $24 million-plus salary through the 2018-19 season.
Cleveland has the highest payroll in the league and would need to move a large salary to take on Anthony’s contract.
From a basketball perspective, Love is a better fit than Melo for the Cavs. Love, unlike Anthony, doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective. He stretches the floor with good outside shooting and rebounds well. Cleveland’s offense wouldn’t flow as well with three ball-dominant players in James, Irving and Anthony.
Thumbnail photo via Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports Images
