New York Knicks: Designing updated Carmelo Anthony trade to Cavaliers

Team Needs

What the New York Knicks need most can’t necessarily be found in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but that doesn’t mean a trade can’t be executed. The Cavaliers would benefit greatly from acquiring Carmelo Anthony, and may need to do so.

The relationship between LeBron James and Kevin Love has always been fragile, and Carmelo Anthony could be the ideal replacement to create a healthier environment.

For Cleveland, replacing Love with Anthony would mean finding a third scoring option who can consistently get their shot off in isolation. That would be an invaluable tool for a team that lost its closer, Kyrie Irving, and is trusting Isaiah Thomas’ hip to hold up.

If the Cavaliers can create a healthy flow on offense, then the presence of Anthony in both on-ball and off-ball capacities would be significant—see: Team USA or 2012-13.

For New York, the ideal return would be a small forward who can replace Anthony long-term. A short-term replacement and a draft pick could also work, primarily if that pick ends up being the Brooklyn Nets selection that Cleveland recently acquired.

The question is: Could the Knicks actually design a trade with the Cavaliers that would benefit them long-term? Let’s look at two potential scenarios.