The Trade: Without Kyrie Irving
The unfortunate reality here is that the New York Knicks may not be able to get Kyrie Irving. It can offer a healthy amount of assets, but in the event that the Knicks fail to trade for Irving, a backup plan should exist.
In this scenario, the Knicks would acquire the defensive-minded wing it needs to round out its youth movement and push for the future.
Charlotte Gets: Kevin Love, PF; Kay Felder, PG
Cleveland Gets: Carmelo Anthony, F; Jeremy Lamb, SG
New York Gets: Richard Jefferson, SF; Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF; Edy Tavares, C; Future first-round draft pick (via Cleveland)
The Charlotte Hornets would be getting Kevin Love, who would become the best talent on the roster. Losing Michael Kidd-Gilchrist could hurt, but it drafted shooting guard Malik Monk and will likely shift Nicolas Batum into MKG’s position at the 3.
Moving forward with a starting lineup of Kemba Walker, Monk, Batum, Love, and Dwight Howard would put Charlotte in a position to be a legitimate postseason team.
Having Marvin Williams, Frank Kaminsky, and Cody Zeller leading the bench would give Charlotte sustainability in its style of play and production from the bigs.
And, quite frankly, Love is the player that Charlotte has been attempting to draft: A lights-out shooting big who can put up 20-plus points per game—and he can dominate the boards.
The Cleveland Cavaliers would be getting the star-caliber ISO scorer that the team needs in Carmelo Anthony, who may be better off at Love’s position: the 4. It would also be acquiring Jeremy Lamb, who’s an athletic wing with the potential to be a high-level defender in the right situation.
A starting lineup of Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Tristan Thompson would be formidable, and Lamb could help provide desperately needed depth.
Cleveland would also be unloading Love’s contract, which makes significantly more sense for a team like Charlotte.
The Knicks would be getting Kidd-Gilchrist, who has been one of the more intriguing young defensive players in the NBA when healthy. The rest is filler—sans a late first-round pick—but not much else matters more than getting a 23-year-old wing on a team-friendly deal.
Kidd-Gilchrist is an excellent rebounder for his position, a versatile defender, and a New Jersey product who would fit perfectly with the defensive-minded youth movement.
A starting lineup of Frank Ntilikina, Tim Hardaway Jr., Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kristaps Porzingis, and Willy Hernangomez could compete for the playoffs with Courtney Lee leading a strong bench.
Must Read: Designing an ideal Carmelo Anthony trade to the Houston Rockets
If Carmelo Anthony warms back up to the idea of playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the New York Knicks could get one of these trades done.