Knicks, Rockets working on Carmelo Anthony trade scenarios

A meeting is public relations fodder for Knixies. Melon is too wily to play into their selfish games.

 

WOJ on Stephen A Smith 8-2-2017
Stephen A welcomes Woj to the show with quite the intro, praising him, etc.

They jump right in.
SA: Hour ago, Melo said he doesn't know his future. What can you tell us about what you are hearing?
Woj: Melo wants to be in Houston, has been consistent for a couple of months. After CP3 trade, he focused on Houston immediately. They got down the road on a multi-team deal, that fell apart with Scott Perry. Perry hit reset button on talks. Knicks would like to engage Carmelo. There is no deal out there that makes sense for them because of either Ryan Anderson or money coming back. Knicks are NOT afraid to bring Melo back to camp. Melo can control where goes with NTC, but Knicks can bring him back to start the season. KNICKS HAVE NOT BEEN ENGAGED WITH HOUSTON IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS. Still trying to engage Melo.

SA: Do Scott, Steve want Melo in NY? Or just no deal out there to make? Ryan Anderson doesn't cut mustard, what's biggest reason?
Woj: Biggest reason is trying to create some leverage. They lost all of it because of PJax. They killed market. People felt like NY wants to dump Melo. Melo won't do a buyout, non-starter. PJax wanted to do a buyout. They do want to go younger. Want to get on same page with Porzingis. Melo doesn't fit but they don't want to give him away for nothing. Limited by NTC and his focus on Houston.

Woj: I don't think they want him back at camp, but they are comfortable with that. They know Melo will come back and be a professional. Not like Cleveland where Kyrie situation is combustible. They are not afraid to have Melo back in camp.

Transition to Kyrie talk...

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
-NY not afraid to bring Melo to camp, believe he'll be a professional
-No talks between Houston and NY in a few weeks
-No trade that makes sense to NY is out there right now. Don't want long term money NOR do they want Ryan Anderson. No offer has been made that doesn't require one of those things.

 

Longer it drags on, the less I think it's happening. Knicks (amazingly) don't sound like they're ready to make a bad deal.

 

Sounds like Melo needs to give them a nudge and have his agent demand a trade. If they get the feeling he won't be a professional, they might be more motivated to make a deal.

 

I dun really care much about Phil Jax in NY, that was a surprise he signed there at all.

 

I think Melo and his team will turn up the heat a little bit and maybe the Knicks will fold as we get closer to training camp.

it would suck to not get him, but we're still a good team without him

 

I just don't think there's any real indicator either way until September.

Unless a team is extremely happy with the return (obviously not the case here), deals tend to get done when there's deadline pressure to move one or both sides closer to a compromise position. In this case, there's no real "deadline" until the start of camp. If the sides still aren't engaged by mid-September, then that might be a tell... but I don't see why, say, August 2 vs. August 9 provides any real indication of what they'll do once deadline pressure arrives.

 

It's likely not going to happen. I hope I'm wrong.

We're Houston- we get sports-screwed all the time.

 

So the Knicks are really as dumb as we thought they were. You are really willing to risk the PR disaster of bringing Melo back. Remember, you had a deal in place before Perry got there. You p***y footed around the deal and now all of sudden you want "leverage" when you gave away the leverage when you let Phil openly disrespect Melo on twitter. They are trying to make up for their own ignorance. I hope every superstar is watching how they're treated Melo

 

there not going to bring him back- they will trade him )Melo has not even discussed/ or enganged in any conversation with the Knicks (that itself should tell you something)

 

Yep; Knicks are doing what they have to do. Basically, if Morey isn't willing to cough up at least a 1st rounder and find a 3rd team to take Anderson's salary, the Knicks are better off just keeping Melo this year, and taking the cap relief when he walks next year. IF they aren't keen on the prospects being offered and don't want to take any salary back, it's hard to see what would change between now and the trade deadline.

We do have picks, so i guess it just depends on where Morey is drawing the line. But this widely repeated notion that Morey doesn't have to give them sh#t because we have all the leverage is garbage. I'm starting to think this is not gonna get done.

 

I'm sure we are offering picks. The biggest problem appears to be what I've said all along.

We have to find a 3rd team for Ryno because the Knicks don't want his contract, but when we do find that third team it still requires that team to send the Knicks contracts beyond this coming season. They don't want that either.

Basically the new GM is saying we don't want to take on any salary beyond this year or at worst the year after. We can't build that trade to date.

Now everyone is basically sitting on their hands waiting to see who blinks first. The Knicks are hoping that Melo will agree to go somewhere else so they can build a better deal, Melo (and the Rockets) are hoping the Knicks just decide to make whatever deal they can.

The reason I'm not as optimistic as some others is because I do believe the threat that the Knicks aren't afraid to just keep Melo. I don't think Melo will tantrum and destroy the team. I think the Knicks are smart to say "Hey, we want to do the right thing and trade you, but we won't take back a worse salary situation to do so. We aren't taking on a 3 year deal for a player we don't want." I can't blame for them that, it doesn't make them stupid.

 

Matt Moore on the CBS Basketball podcast said there are 2 teams willing to take Anderson.

 

This should be qualified right? He'd 100% do a buyout if it's for reasonable money.

 

Which 2 teams?

 

Sorry, that should say "NY won't do a buyout"

 

He didn't specify.