Knicks Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz Surrounding Carmelo Anthony

Jimmy Butler May Recruit Carmelo Anthony

The New York Knicks have been rumored to be in contact with three teams: the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Clippers. A fourth team could soon become involved, with star player Jimmy Butler leading the Chicago Bulls’ pursuit.

According to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, Butler and Carmelo Anthony recently caught up over a phone call—and could speak again about joining forces in Chicago.

"“That is half the battle,’’ Butler said about making a player from another team feel appreciated. “And I could still do that. Everybody knows what Carmelo can bring to a team. The dude is a hell of a player. “But we have some things that we’ve got to worry about here first in the next few weeks [leading into the Feb. 23 trade deadline] before we go down that road.’’"

That’s an interesting option that Phil Jackson and the Knicks could soon explore.

By joining the Bulls, Anthony would play with a contemporary star in Jimmy Butler and a close friend in Dwyane Wade. That’s an alluring combination that could pique Anthony’s interest and enable Jackson to execute a trade.

The return may not be as strong from Chicago as it would be from Boston, Cleveland, or Los Angeles, but it could still be intriguing enough to get a deal done.

The Bulls have a number of intriguing players who are age 25 or younger. 25-year-old forwards Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic could be options, with the latter fitting Phil Jackson’s infatuation with Liga ACB products.

Coupled with a draft pick and intriguing young players such as former Knick Jerian Grant, Denzel Valentine, and Paul Zipser, as well as veteran Taj Gibson, a trade could make sense.