Knicks Trade Rumors: J.J. Redick The Key To Carmelo Anthony Trade
The New York Knicks can trade Carmelo Anthony to the Los Angeles Clippers, but it will only work if J.J. Redick is willing to call Madison Square Garden home.
Trade rumors have circulated for months on end that the New York Knicks could trade Carmelo Anthony to the Los Angeles Clippers. It’s one of the few scenarios that Anthony is believed to be interested in, which is a significant truth given his no-trade clause.
If the Knicks are going to trade Anthony to the Clippers, however, it will require J.J. Redick to commit to joining the Knicks.
Anthony’s no-trade clause enables him to either accept or decline any trade package that he’s included in. The working theory during the 2016-17 NBA regular season was that the only three teams Anthony would consider going to were the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Clippers.
According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, some league executives believe that the only way to trade Anthony to the Clippers would be in exchange for Redick, Austin Rivers, and Wesley Johnson.
"According to some league executives, the only deal that makes sense for both sides is packaging Redick, combo guard Austin Rivers and adding wing man Wesley Johnson for financial purposes in exchange for Anthony and perhaps one of the Knicks’ two second-round picks in next month’s draft."
That’s far from the package that Knicks fans are hoping to see New York receive in exchange for a 10-time All-Star, but it may be the best chance Anthony has of going to the Clippers.
Anthony will turn 33 years of age on May 29, while Redick will turn 33 on June 24. Both players are exiting their athletic prime, but both have a significant level of value to whichever team they play for in 2017-18.
True as that may be, Redick will be an unrestricted free agent in 2017 and can thus choose to join whichever team he deems as the best fit.
Even if Redick decides that he’s willing to take part in a sign-and-trade, both Anthony and the Knicks would need to sign off on the deal.
If Anthony were to agree to the trade, then the Knicks would need to determine if the return is the best it can get. Rivers is a 24-year-old combo guard who averaged 12.0 points and 1.5 3-point field goals made in 27.8 minutes per game on a slash line of .442/.371/.691 in 2016-17.
Johnson has an intriguing level of athleticism and length, although it hasn’t yet translated to pro-level consistency through seven seasons.
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No trade is imminent, but the New York Knicks seem to know what it will take to get a Carmelo Anthony trade done with the Los Angeles Clippers: J.J. Redick.