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New York Knicks: How to view a potential Carmelo Anthony trade

By Joseph Franco

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 12: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the New York Knicks walks off the court after the 114-113 win over the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden on April 12, 2017 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 12: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the New York Knicks walks off the court after the 114-113 win over the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden on April 12, 2017 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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It’s only a matter of time until the lone superstar that has believed in the New York Knicks gets traded. Here are some things to think about on the matter.

According to Frank Isola and Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News, the Houston Rockets are on the verge of acquiring Carmelo Anthony via trade.

"“A deal that would end the Carmelo Anthony era in New York and reunite the All Star forward with Mike D’Antoni in Houston “is at the two yard line” a person familiar with the trade negotiations told the Daily News.”"

The acquisition of Chris Paul proves that the Rockets are in win-now mode, even though their franchise cornerstone, James Harden, is only 27 years old. Carmelo Anthony playing alongside Harden and Paul would certainly be interesting.

But let’s not get carried away.

An aging Paul and two defensive liabilities in Harden and Anthony could be a recipe for disaster in disguise as a 60-win team.

Anthony playing off of other superstars is scary. He proved that while playing for USA Basketball in 2016 by averaging 12.1 points per game while shooting 40.0 percent from beyond the arc on a stacked team.

Being a second or even third option is a reality that Anthony is going to have to accept. In Denver and New York, he was known as a ball-stopper.

But in playing with Paul and Harden, who averaged a combined 20.4 assists per-game last season, being a ball stopper may turn into a positive for the Rockets.

A Rockets team with Anthony on it certainly boosts their chances at the possibility of beating the Golden State Warriors in the dreaded Western Conference. Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni has a bad history of coaching in New York due to Anthony.

D’Antoni has spoken on the matter:

"“(Carmelo and I) don’t have a bad relationship. I speak to him. He’s a good guy,” D’Antoni, who coached Anthony as an assistant with Team USA, said last year on The Vertical podcast. “But I had one vision that I wanted him to play one way. He wanted to go the other way. I couldn’t get to my way.”"

If Anthony and D’Antoni could somehow put their differences aside, they could have a chance to do something special in Houston.

As for the New York Knicks, they seem to be assembling a youth movement. New York re-signed Ron Baker to a two-year, $8.9 million contract, and signed Tim Hardaway Jr. to a four-year, $71 million contract. That puts it in a position to build a younger team that can grow together as a unit.

Some might say New York overpaid for Hardaway Jr., who averaged a career high 14.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 27.3 minutes per-game.

Overpaid or not, the Knicks are going young for once. A core of Kristaps Porzingis, Hardaway Jr., Willy Hernangomez, and rookie Frank Ntilikina certainly looks good to me.

Must Read: Pros and Cons of potentially trading for Eric Bledsoe

In this Anthony trade, expect the New York Knicks to acquire young players, draft picks, and expiring contracts that can correlate to future free agency signings.

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