Carmelo Anthony has said he wants to remain with the New York Knicks, but he has also state his plans to at least test the market first. The vagueness of his future has the team concerned. As fear sets in that Anthony could walk away and leave nothing for New York in return, the Knicks are exploring trade talks.
According to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com, the Knicks and the Los Angeles Clippers have discussed a trade involving Anthony and Blake Griffin. Broussard reports there have been internal team discussions with both the Clippers and the Knicks, but right now no one is certain about whether this deal will and should happen.
The Clippers are the team that is more apprehensive about making the trade. For one, Los Angeles just lost point guard Chris Paul to a separated shoulder injury for the next three to five weeks. He left the game against the Dallas Mavericks after injuring his shoulder and did not return for the remainder of the game. Paul was averaging 19.6 points and 11.3 assists in 35 minutes a game.
With Paul out, Griffin is essentially. The forward is having one of the best all-around seasons of his career. In the past 10 games, he is averaging 26 points and 11 rebounds. Griffin will become a focal point of the Clippers over the next few weeks while Paul heals. Right now, it appears the Clippers are leaning towards keeping Griffin.
Los Angeles is reportedly one of the destinations on Anthony's radar. He likes the idea of playing in a larger market. The forward is good friends with Paul and both players have wanted to team up since 2010. Anthony was intrigued by the idea of playing with both Griffin and Paul, creating a Big 3 out in Los Angeles.
If the Knicks are serious about trying to open trade talks involving Anthony, it could be hard. No team will be willing to offer him anything substantial without knowing the forward will re-sign for the long-term. Anthony could be willing to stay with the Clippers if the trade happens, but without Griffin it is not a guarantee.
New York's top priority should be trying to re-sign Anthony. The Knicks can offer the forward almost $30 million more than any other team in free agency. Broussard has reported once before the Knicks would target Griffin in 2015, so does that keep Anthony around?
Right now, it appears this trade was nothing more than a brief discussion. Both teams need to keep their best assets right now, but anything could happen closer to the deadline.
