Carmelo Anthony and Blake Griffin (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
There is a report claiming that the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers should consider an exchange of Blake Griffin for Carmelo Anthony in the summer if both superstars remain in their teams pass the Feb. 18 trade deadline.
Frank Isola of the New York Daily News claimed that a "Griffin-for-Anthony trade makes sense on a number of levels," with both players heavily linked in the rumor mill.
"Denver, Boston and Atlanta cannot be ruled out but if Griffin remains with the Clippers after Thursday this may be something the Knicks and Carmelo Anthony may want to consider over the summer," Isola noted.
"A Griffin-for-Anthony trade makes sense on a number of levels including the fact that Anthony and Chris Paul have for years tried to become teammates."
The Knicks are not ready to surrender the season yet, and it became evident when team's president Phil Jackson fired Derek Fisher midway through the season. They are also continuously looking for an upgrade at the point guard position, believing that the right player could help the franchise reach the playoffs and maximize the rosters' talents.
But if the Knicks fail to acquire any marquee trade this season, or if they fail to reach the playoffs despite getting a quality player, trading Anthony for another superstar in the summer is an option they can explore.
Why the trade makes sense
The Knicks are not the expected to make a serious title run next season even if they land superstar point guard like Mike Conley or Rajon Rondo in the summer. And even if they do, it is not guaranteed they could immediately contend for a title, something the Clippers could offer to Anthony.
The Clips have been close to reaching the NBA finals and they are hungrier than ever to hoist their first ever Larry O'Brien trophy.
The Clippers were also able to keep hold of the fourth spot in the Western Conference in the absence of Griffin, suggesting that LA could still contend without their All-Star forward, who is expected to miss the entire season after undergoing a second surgical procedure in his right hand injured from punching a team personnel.
Replacing Griffin with Anthony gives the Clippers a legitimate go-to-scorer who could benefit well with Chris Paul commanding the floor. Anthony and Paul are very good friends and it is no secret both players want to team-up on the hard court.
On the other hand, Griffin would provide the Clippers frontcourt depth. The high-flying forward would complement well with the Knicks if the team could get an elite point guard who could feed the Griffin alley-oops and pick-and-roll plays, someone like Rondo or Ricky Rubio.
Why the trade doesn't make sense
The only certain and common thing behind these trade rumors is that the Clippers and Anthony are ever reluctant to entertain such deal.
Firstly, Anthony has a no-trade clause in his contract. Unless the Knicks superstar is convinced he can truly win a championship alongside his best friend Paul and under Doc Rivers, Anthony is not expected to waive his no-trade clause.
In fact, Anthony opened about the trade rumblings during the All-Star weekend in Toronto, insisting that his plan is to remain with the Knicks, where he hopes to win his first NBA championship.
"One in New York is better than multiple somewhere else, so that was the reason I wanted to come to New York," Anthony said, reports Sporting News.
"That's the reason why I'm in New York, so it just bothers me when I started hearing all these trade rumors and trade talks."
Secondly, the Clippers are singing the same tune Anthony has. According to Dan Woike, who covers the Clippers for the OC Register, sources continue to say that the Clips are not interested in trading Griffin, despite rumors about the team offering the forward to the Denver Nuggets for a handful of talented players.
Clippers sources continue to say they don't have interest in trading Blake Griffin.
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) February 15, 2016
Ken Berger of CBS Sports is also not convinced that the Clippers going to panic right now and trade away Griffin.
But it is worth noting that these reports only concern the Clippers and Knicks this season, so any transaction in the offseason between the two teams could still happen.
