Knicks Trade Rumors: Pros, Cons Of Not Trading Carmelo Anthony

Pro: There Aren’t Many Scorers Better Than Anthony

It’s hard to argue against the belief that Carmelo Anthony has fallen too deep in love with isolation possessions. 23.6 percent of his possessions end in isolation, but he has an effective field goal percentage of just 42.5 percent in those scenarios.

The truth of the matter is: though he needs to alter his approach, there aren’t many players in the NBA who are more lethal in isolation than Anthony.

Anthony is currently averaging 22.2 points, 2.0 3-point field goals made, and 5.3 free throws made per game. He boasts career averages of 24.8 points, 1.2 3-point field goals made, and 7.3 free throws made per game.

Currently ranked No. 26 on the all-time scoring list and No. 14 in career scoring average, New York would be hard pressed to find a scorer as lethal as Anthony.

Of the players who will become free agents in 2017, only Stephen Curry and Blake Griffin are comparable scorers to Anthony—and neither are expected to come to New York. Of the players Anthony could be dealt for, few, if any, players can score as well as he.

Anthony and the Knicks need to operate offensively at a more efficient level, but there are few scorers as talented as ‘Melo.