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New York Knicks: Designing an ideal Carmelo Anthony trade to New Orleans Pelicans

By Maxwell Ogden

NEW ORLEANS, LA - APRIL 02: DeMarcus Cousins #0 of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts during the first half of a game against the Chicago Bulls at the Smoothie King Center on April 2, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - APRIL 02: DeMarcus Cousins #0 of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts during the first half of a game against the Chicago Bulls at the Smoothie King Center on April 2, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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BROOKLYN, NY – MARCH 12: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Carmelo Anthony #7 of the New York Knicks in action against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on March 12, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Nets defeated the Knicks 120-112. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
BROOKLYN, NY – MARCH 12: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Carmelo Anthony #7 of the New York Knicks in action against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on March 12, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Nets defeated the Knicks 120-112. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

Team Needs

The New Orleans Pelicans and New York Knicks have two simple lists of needs. That should make this an easier trade to execute, but the hurdle remains for both sides: There may not be enough to fill the respective voids.

Nevertheless, it’s worth evaluating the needs of both New Orleans and New York, and figuring out if the assets are in place.

New York’s team needs boil down to replacing Carmelo Anthony and building for the future. New Orleans is ineligible to trade its 2018 first-round draft pick after giving up its 2017 pick, which means it would need to include a 2019 selection to get this deal done.

That could be an intriguing asset to feature due to the fact that both Anthony and DeMarcus Cousins will be free agents in 2018, but it’s also two years away.

If the Knicks manage to acquire a quality small forward, a 2019 first-round draft pick, and another player of value, the return could be acceptable. It’s simply debatable whether or not Solomon Hill is the quality small forward whom New York is looking for.

As for New Orleans, this is as simple as wanting to acquire Anthony and accepting whatever else can be included in a trade.

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