New York Knicks: Designing updated Carmelo Anthony trade to Cavaliers

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NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 12: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the New York Knicks heads for the net as Justin Anderson #23 of the Philadelphia 76ers defends at Madison Square Garden on April 12, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

The Finances

The most crucial piece of information in these discussions is that Carmelo Anthony has a massive salary. Thus, in order to trade him, the Knicks will likely need to take back a hefty sum or bring a third team into the mix.

That limits the flexibility here, which means the organization may be required to take on a contract that it may deem to be unfavorable.

Anthony carries a cap hit of $26,243,760 for the 2017-18 NBA season. Even if he proves willing to waive his trade kicker, that figure would all but ensure that the Cavaliers would attempt to give up Kevin Love, whose contract nearly matches Anthony’s.

The Knicks could also look to unload another player in the trade, but it’s unlikely to be Courtney Lee or anyone else making significant money.

Love is owed $22,642,350, which could line up well enough for a trade to be executed. It’s worth noting, however, that while Anthony has a player option for 2017-18, Love is owed a fully guaranteed $72,357,075 through 2020.

Trading for Love would mean making a significant long-term commitment that would consume an average of roughly $24 million per season.

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