Carmelo Anthony Trade Rumors: How the LA Clippers Lineup Would Look With Melo

The Carmelo Anthony sweepstakes, flying along for much of the past month, has ostensibly slowed to a halt.

Although there might be ongoing discussions between the Denver Nuggets and potential trade partners, rumors are spreading neither fast nor furiously; in fact, the Melo-drama has recently been overshadowed by other preseason developments, such as Dwyane Wade's hamstring injury and the Lakers' loss to FC Barcelona.

The Anthony quandary hasn't been forgotten, but it has certainly taken a backseat. I'm sure both Carmelo and the Nuggets like it that way.

Sorry, guys, but here I am to get that rumor mill spinning again—what about the Clippers?

Los Angeles has previously been mentioned as a potential destination for the superstar small forward who a) has always been conscious of what LeBron is up to, and b) just got married to a woman in the entertainment industry.

Would either team make the move? Who knows. Denver doesn't seem all that eager to ship Carmelo off unless the price is more than right, and Clipper owner Donald Sterling never seems all that eager to pursue blockbuster trades.

Still, I would like to delve into this possibility a little deeper and see what the Clippers lineup would look like with Carmelo.

The Trade

After scrutinizing both franchises' rosters and taking into account contracts and personnel, there appears to be only one viable trade scenario that doesn't include multiple teams. (There are too many multiple team scenarios to discuss reasonably.)

In exchange for Carmelo, the Denver Nuggets would receive Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu and several draft picks. This package includes an all-star center in his prime, a young athletic swingman with high upside and the requisite future picks is definitely fair compensation for a player likely to leave in the offseason.

Why is this the only trade possibility? It's doubtful the Clippers would give up their future stars in Eric Gordon or Blake Griffin.

No way the Nuggets would take Baron Davis, and Los Angeles doesn't have anyone else of value; additionally, Kaman's big contract allows the trade to match up financially.

Lastly, if you're wondering whether Kaman and Nene could coexist, Nene is athletic and versatile enough to slide over to power forward.

The New Look Los Angeles Clippers

So where would that leave the Clippers? In my opinion, much better off.

Let's begin by inspecting their new starting lineup: Davis, Gordon and Griffin obviously stay entrenched as starters, and Melo easily plugs the hole that is currently the small forward position.

The only question would be who to start at center—the two options, DeAndre Jordan and Jarron Collins, could not be more different.

Whereas Collins is a solid veteran who defends and boards well but is an offensive zero, Jordan is a talented young wild card who is a potential liability. My vote would be for Jordan, since you can't truly be a successful team with a Collins twin starting.

Then there's style: The Clippers would need to completely revamp their system of play.

Without a plodding low-post scorer, the Clippers would become a high-paced, uptempo team. This would be a welcome change not only for the beleaguered fans, but also for an anemic offense that last year placed 27th in offensive efficiency.

Davis, Gordon, Anthony, Griffin and Jordan is an explosive lineup that could score in a plethora of ways, especially if Baron recaptures his Warriors form. They would be deadly on the fast break, be able to finish incredibly well around the rim and have enough competent outside shooters to space the floor.

The Clippers might occasionally miss Kaman's post-presence, but Carmelo's offensive versatility and effectiveness would more than make up for it.

Los Angeles would finally have a guy who can put the ball in the bucket with the clock winding down, a shot-maker extraordinaire who doesn't need a play run for him to get off a good shot. With Carmelo on your side, your squad is always a threat, even if your offense is struggling.

Defensively, the trade would not alter much. Neither Kaman nor Carmelo is an exceptional defender, and the swingman Anthony would replace is also unspectacular.

As far as the Clipper bench is concerned, Aminu wouldn't be that great a loss. He's raw, unproven and has been very inconsistent so far in preseason play, not to mention the fact that the Clippers have a glut of small forwards, including dependable journeymen Gomes and Rasual Butler.

The style change would also benefit the second unit, which is led by lightning bug rookie point guard Eric Bledsoe, whom the Clips believe could have impact similar to the Nuggets recent rookie spark plug, Ty Lawson.

Lastly, the Clippers would also be able to throw a small lineup on the court that could really run and gun and create mismatches for opposing defenses.

The Final Word

Obtaining Carmelo Anthony would bring such joy to Clipperland, and it would even force the rest of LA to pay attention to little brother. On the court, I firmly believe it would be a huge success.

If the Clippers aren't currently trying to make this trade happen, they should get on it before it's too late.