Carmelo Anthony (Photo : Twitter)
The New York Knicks rebuilding program seems to be on the right track and the Detroit Pistons are also a team on the rise.
Both teams could become stronger, as the Knicks have younger talent to build around and the Pistons seem to be one star short to becoming a legitimate contender.
Bill Simmons noted on his Reddit AMA that despite his denials, Carmelo Anthony is willing to leave New York for a more competitive team. While this is predicated on the Knicks being awful (and they're not) there are options where Melo can make a contender-like the Detroit Pistons.
If the Chicago Bulls are hesitant to pull a trade, the Detroit Pistons could present themselves as a worthy option. The New York Knicks, with the sudden development of Kristaps Porzingis, could add more pieces around him and possibly attract a marquee free agent. Something they could not do if Carmelo Anthony was around.
A recent thread on Real GM forum discussed a possible Pistons-Knicks swap. The Detroit Pistons have emerged as a playoff team in the East behind Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond. If you add Carmelo Anthony, that could be the East's new Big Three.
A combination of Brandon Jennings, as the Knicks need a point guard, prized rookie Stanley Johnson and Ersan Ilyasova would make a great haul for the Knicks. The Pistons could also throw in a first round pick.
For the Pistons, they already have their point guard for the future in Reggie Jackson and while they really like Stanley Johnson, if there's an opportunity for them to contend now, they should take that opportunity,
The way Jackson and Drummond are playing, adding Anthony to that combination and being coached by Stan Van Gundy will make the Pistons a legitimate threat to LeBron and the Cavs. That could be something that would make Melo consider waiving his "No Trade clause."
