New York Knicks: Evan Turner weighs in on Carmelo Anthony rumors
A third member of the Portland Trail Blazers has weighed in on the Carmelo Anthony rumors. Find out what Evan Turner said about the New York Knicks star.
Carmelo Anthony is in the envious position of being in control of his own destiny. With a no-trade clause and a player option in his contract, the New York Knicks star will have near autonomous power over the next two to three seasons of his NBA career.
As Anthony reaches a career crossroads, however, one organization appears to be convinced that it can persuade the 10-time All-Star into making an unorthodox decision: The Portland Trail Blazers.
Trail Blazers shooting guard CJ McCollum recently awoke the rumor mill when he made a public attempt to recruit Anthony. Damian Lillard followed soon thereafter, which birthed speculation that Portland could emerge as a dark horse to acquire Anthony’s services.
According to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, Trail Blazers swingman Evan Turner would be in favor of Portland acquiring Anthony.
"“If he waives it and wants to come, it would be great,” Turner said at The Basketball Tournament semifinal in Baltimore on Tuesday. “He’ll lock in because he made the decision to come. He’s got all the power in a certain sense. It’s not a guarantee. The positive is if we did get him, that means he wanted to be there and accepted the trade and buckle into what we’re trying to do.”"
That’s the reality that should be enticing to the 29 other teams around the NBA: If Anthony accepts a trade, it means he wants to be there.
Although some question if he can still be a No. 1 scoring option, Anthony’s appeal is clear. He’s averaged at least 20.0 points per game in 14 consecutive seasons, and has one of the most polished scoring skill sets in NBA history.
In Portland, Anthony would be joining a roster with three alluring young offensive forces in Lillard, McCollum, and Jusuf Nurkic.
Depending upon what’s sent back to New York in a potential trade, Anthony would also be joining one of the deepest teams in the NBA.
Portland has no shortage of offensive firepower, as evidenced by it ranking No. 11 in points per 100 possessions in 2016-17. It was prone to cold spells, however, due in large part to the absence of a scorer who can get a quick two points from the post areas.
Per Begley, Turner believes that Anthony can fill that role—and the rabid Portland crowd would reward him for it.
"“Obviously he’s 6-8 (and) he walks in a gym and he can throw 20 points up in the books. He’s so talented, so big, you can’t leave him alone…. I can’t image Melo in Portland just because he’d stick out walking down the street — he’s Melo, a celebrity. As a player, he’d love things. The crowd’s crazy. There’s a special crowd in Portland where if we have the right pieces, we can make a lot happen.”"
Portland isn’t New York, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing—nor is it a deterrent in this scenario.
The Western Conference may be deeper than ever before, but the Trail Blazers have become something of a postseason mainstay. Terry Stotts is a respected head coach, Lillard and McCollum are good for 20-plus points per game, and the rest of the roster is flush with talent.
The question is: Would Anthony actually be willing to accept a trade to Portland? If so, the team-wide recruiting effort would pay off.
Must Read: Five realistic Carmelo Anthony trade proposals
Nothing is imminent, but the New York Knicks seem to have a potential trade partner in the Portland Trail Blazers.