Oddly enough, the Rockets seem to be the team with the easiest route to trading for him with the contracts they have. Them and the Heat make the most sense. Lawson, Ariza or Brewer, and Jones for Melo & min salary player (Early, Vujacic, Galloway) works from a salary perspective. For the Heat, a Deng, McRoberts, Birdman for Melo, Early deal works. Unless the Heat include Winslow I think the Rockets offer looks better from a player perspective but who knows. The Knicks move Melo's salary, and get 3 real solid players that can help still get the team to the playoffs with a more KP-centric team. (Lawson/KP P&R could be devastating) For the Rockets, its a little more tricky. You are really flirting with disaster with a 3 star trio that really ends up not fitting at all. I don't think it will happen because I think Melo stays in New York, but from a contract perspective I can't think of too many other teams where it makes more sense.
It always reminder me of Harden & Rudy Gay, whenever Melo is mentioned. All of them have the ball-hog label, score most of their points from ISO, none of them is much of a factor without the ball, and all three are average to bad defenders.
Melo for Joe Johnson + Rondae Hollis for Melo would work well. Knicks get a expiring, 1st round SF and Nets get Melo to try to compete. Melo gets to stay in home town with wife.
Marshmallow will be 32 when the playoffs start. He's played over 900 games. He has three years left on his contract, 24m, 26m, 27m, and his numbers have been steadily declining for years. Maybe if his contract was shorter. Maybe if he had fewer miles on his legs. Maybe if he'd ever shown the ability to carry a team, on his back, the way I expect super star players to do. Seriously, after 13 years, does any team really fear Carmelo Anthony? So, no, I think the Rockets need to think longer term, especially since the Warriors might be dominating for the next two or three years.
The best basketball I think Joe Johnson played in his career was off the bench for the Suns in the MVP Nash years before he went to Atlanta lol
I have a hard time seeing Melo and Porzingis leading that franchise anywhere. Melo isn't the Melo he was in Denver. He almost reminds me of Amare when he left Phoenix, but not that bad. If I were NYC, I would trade him (assuming they can get some decent value out of him). And build around Porzingis. I really really like that kid.
They should trade him to the heat for deng and fillers. They need as much cap room as possible for next yr with porzingis. The heat could be favorites in the east and not have to worry about free agency this way, just gotta re sign whiteside
The heavy minutes and the time spent playing at PF from 2012-14 has, in all likelihood, shaved several years off of Carmelo's prime. The Knicks would definitely be wise to move on before his performance dips to a point where that contract becomes immoveable.
You start Melo at the 3, shift him to the 4 when you bring Brewer/Thornton in. Bev - Calderon/Terry Harden - Thornton Melo - Brewer/Harden Dmo - Melo/Harrell Dwight - Capela/Dmo
I like your thinking. However, can we keep Ariza and send Brewer instead? The salaries would still match and this way we get a complete lineup. We would have to add a pick to sweeten the deal, but this could work. Bev Harden Ariza Melo Howard Melo is the answer to the stretch-4 we have always wanted. He doesn't clog the lane and his range could be a match-up nightmare for defenses along Harden and Howard. Though, at this stage of his career, he would have to concede playing 2nd fiddle and working off the ball. Thoughts?
