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New York Knicks: Designing an ideal Carmelo Anthony trade with Houston Rockets

By Maxwell Ogden

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 02: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Carmelo Anthony #7 of the New York Knicks in action against James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets at Madison Square Garden on November 2, 2016 in New York City. The Rockets defeated the Knicks 118-99. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 02: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Carmelo Anthony #7 of the New York Knicks in action against James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets at Madison Square Garden on November 2, 2016 in New York City. The Rockets defeated the Knicks 118-99. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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HOUSTON, TX – MAY 5: Ryan Anderson #3 of the Houston Rockets is introduced before Game Three of the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2017 NBA Playoffs on May 5, 2017 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX – MAY 5: Ryan Anderson #3 of the Houston Rockets is introduced before Game Three of the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2017 NBA Playoffs on May 5, 2017 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The Finances

In order for a trade to be executed, the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets must make the numbers line up. In order to do so, the Rockets would need to clear enough cap space to take on the $26,243,760 owed to Carmelo Anthony in 2017-18.

For that to happen, the Rockets will need to unload just under $23 million in salary—a truth that makes Ryan Anderson the most likely departure.

Anderson is owed $19,578,455 in 2017-18—a departing figure that could put Houston right on the cusp of clearing enough space to acquire Anthony. Other players would be needed, but Anderson gets the Rockets closer than any other individual player who will be made available.

Anderson, however, has three lucrative seasons remaining on his current contract: $19,578,455 in 2017-18, $20,421,546 in 2018-19, and $21,264,637.

Chances are, the Knicks won’t want to pay the near $61.3 million owed to a player its strongest position: power forward. Thus, the Rockets will likely need to find a third team to ship Anderson to if this trade is going to occur.

If a deal is going to be executed before December 14, when players signed in free agency are eligible to be traded, Houston will need to include either Trevor Ariza at $7.4 million, Clint Capela at $2.3 million, and/or multiple players signed for the minimum will be included.

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