The Los Angeles Clippers have been one of the best teams in the west this season and after trade rumors surfaced about a possible deal for Carmelo Anthony and Blake Griffin with the New York Knicks, head coach Doc Rivers called the reports stupid since no actual move has been proposed and this comes after the Knicks lost another embarrassing game to the Houston Rockets.
The reports came out earlier this week that the Knicks had internally discussed a trade involving Anthony and according to ESPN.com, the proposed move could include a swap of Blake Griffin for Anthony, who is expected to opt out of his contract after this season. The Knicks were confident that they would be able to sign Anthony after he opted out before the season, but now that the team has been off to a horrible start, it's looking more realistic that Melo could bolt for a team like the Clippers or the Chicago Bulls. Anthony has said in the past that he would love to play with his good friend Chris Paul and if Anthony makes it into free agency, the Clippers would be one of the favorites to sign him.
The report from ESPN.com said that the discussions were internal, but with the way the Knicks season is going, all options have to be on the table and frustration could be coming to a boil for the team, as they lost a game they had a chance to win against the Rockets after JR Smith put up a shot that allowed Houston to come back at the end of the game with less than 24 seconds left.
Pro Basketball Talk reports that both teams have had "internal" discussions about the move and that the two sides have not contacted each other about it yet. The move seems like there would need to be more involved than just the two players, but from the Knicks side they have to be terrified at the prospect of losing Melo, as they have built and deconstructed the roster with him in mind and if he leaves, it could set the team back for years. Anthony is nearing 30 years old and while he is an elite scorer, the only time he has been a "winner" and has made players better around him was with Syracuse and he has not been able to pull the Knicks out of the hole they are in this season. The team is lucky they play in the Atlantic division in the eastern conference, as they still are within striking distance of the division and the playoffs.
