New York Knicks: Five realistic Carmelo Anthony trade proposals

Houston Rockets

If the Houston Rockets are going to execute a two-team trade for Carmelo Anthony, they’ll need to package a high-quality player with Ryan Anderson’s brutal contract. Due to the roster turnover, most of those players are ineligible to be traded until December.

One of the few exceptions is a player whom the Knicks drafted many moons ago: Respected two-way small forward Trevor Ariza.

It’s fair to believe that Houston would rather not trade Ariza. He not only has a championship pedigree and extensive postseason experience, but he’s a legitimate two-way player who can defend multiple positions and space the floor.

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and P.J. Tucker were brought in to provide defensive depth, but losing Ariza would mean losing one of the few players who can execute on both ends.

If the Rockets are willing to execute this trade, then the Knicks could change the way they evaluate this deal. Ariza is a respected veteran who has played in New York, and could help build the defensive-minded culture that head coach Jeff Hornacek is attempting to create.

The reason this trade won’t happen: Ariza will be a free agent in 2018, and Anderson is due upwards of $61 million over the next three seasons.