Carmelo Anthony and Blake Griffin (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The NBA trade rumors continue for the New York Knicks and Carmelo Anthony as the team and its star may move on in separate paths.
The speculation has been rampant and Anthony has been linked to one trade scenario after another despite having a no-trade clause. Granted there are probably numerous teams that could present a better opportunity for Melo in terms of winning a championship, but the overall package of New York, the big market and its link to the entertainment industry are factors that matter for him.
In that instance, the LA Clippers would be the frontrunner according to the NY Post,
"The Clippers would be Anthony's first choice if he asked for a trade later this summer," Post writer Marc Berman said. "With an early exit, would Doc Rivers go through with trading Blake Griffin, who went for 19-12-6 in Game 1? Not for Anthony. Not anymore."
Berman also added: "Ex-Knick Jamal Crawford, a Sixth Man of the Year candidate for the Clippers, is a free agent and still loves New York."
Blake Griffin is returning to form for the Clippers and the trade rumors that emerged during the time he was involved in a controversy have been forgotten. The Melo rumor was a strong one even though Anthony is much older and had a longer history of injuries. Griffin was thought to be dispensable, a knee-jerk reaction that Doc Rivers was smart enough to avoid.
Now, all those factors against trading Griffin for Anthony come to the forefront-and are proven correct. The Clippers will not trade their star for Carmelo, but is there another way for them to bring Anthony to LA?
The Clippers are out of trade chips aside from their big three, DeAndre Jordan, Griffin and Chris Paul. The Knicks would definitely ask for one of those three. The only other scenario that had Melo going to the Clippers is from SI.com, wherein DeAndre Jordan is the one traded to assemble the "superteam" where LeBron James would join friends Dwyane Wade, Melo and CP3.
That scenario is indicative of how the Clippers feel about Griffin right now, and maybe they never actually wavered-although there were rumors about an alleged inquiry involving the Denver Nuggets. Doc Rivers will not trade Blake Griffin for Carmelo Anthony and as Melo gets older and Griffin regains form, that trade will probably not materialize.
