Carmelo Anthony has been trying to get himself traded to the Houston Rockets for basically this whole NBA offseason, but for all intents and purposes, that's a trade the New York Knicks just aren't interested in.
It hasn't happened yet, and while there's still plenty of time for something to shake out, Jason McIntyre of FOX Sports is reporting that the Knicks simply just won't do it. In fact, he called the trade a Hail Mary, which is almost statistically one of the toughest plays in football to make happen. That is unless you have Aaron Rodgers throwing the ball.
The bad news for Anthony is that Rodgers isn't in his corner negotiating a trade for him to end up in Houston, so it sounds like the long-time NBA star has to start thinking about a Plan B.
In the very same tweet, McIntyre relayed that contingency plan, and it reportedly has Anthony heading back West. Instead of Southwest to Texas, though, Anthony could end up in Portland.
Here's McIntyre:
Carmelo Anthony's people are trying a Hail Mary attempt to get him to Houston (Knicks won't do it) ... before he accepts a deal to Portland
— Jason McIntyre (@jasonrmcintyre) September 21, 2017
Of course, this trade would be contingent on the Knicks getting value back for Anthony, who still has plenty to give, this despite the fact that he's now entering his 15th NBA season out of Syracuse — where he played for a season before being drafted No. 3 overall in the 2003 NBA draft behind only LeBron James (Cleveland) and Darko Milicic (Detroit).
Anthony is a 10-time NBA All-Star and a six-time All-NBA forward. He was the 2012-13 NBA scoring champ and has averaged 24.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game over the course of his career.
Yes, he's probably nearing the tail end of his career, but it stands to reason that New York will be asking for a pretty nice haul in return for its star player.
[h/t Pro Basketball Talk]
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