The New York Knicks find themselves right at the forefront of talks for Kyrie Irving, who has demanded a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
New York was one of the four teams Irving told the Cavs he preferred to be dealt to (along with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs), and the Knicks have been willing to include Carmelo Anthony and several first-round picks in a deal for Irving.
Anthony - who does not want to play for the Knicks next season - has previously said that he would waive his no-trade clause for either the Cavs or Houston Rockets, but Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports that he'd still prefer a trade to Houston over Cleveland.
The Knicks will contact Cleveland and make a pitch. The obvious move would be to trade Carmelo Anthony and a few first round picks for a bona-fide superstar. However, a source close to Anthony said late Friday that the All Star forward is focused on getting a deal done with Houston.
Anthony would have to waive his no-trade and there is no guarantee that Anthony would do that to join a Cavs team that didn’t have Irving. Also, Anthony probably knows better than anyone that LeBron is leaving next July.
Anthony was reportedly convinced that he would be traded to the Rockets, and as of now, he seems dead set on playing there next season.
He is also trying to force a buyout from the Knicks, which is his preference so he can join the Rockets as currently constructed. He has two years and $54 million remaining on his deal, though he can opt out after the 2017-18 season.
Anthony averaged 22.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game this past season.
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