NBA Trade Talk: Could the Knicks Trade Carmelo Anthony for Deron Williams?

There is a burning question facing the New York Knicks—was Carmelo Anthony the right acquisition for the franchise?

Two weeks ago, the Knicks were 8-15.  The offense looked dead, Anthony was running listless, one-on-one offensive plays that killed any team flow and the season looked finished.  But then Anthony got injured, new star Jeremy Lin emerged, and the Knicks are now 13-15 and back in the NBA playoff hunt.

Tonight, Amar'e Stoudemire will return to the Knicks.  Although there is some worry about his reintegration into the offense, that should not be a major concern—Stoudemire plays his best when an elite point guard is on the court.  Suns' fans watched that for a half decade, and Knicks' fans saw his chemistry with Chauncey Billups.  

The greater concern is how will Carmelo Anthony reintegrate. In the past week, Mike D'Antoni has successfully re-installed his offensive system and showed how effective it can be when it is run by a talented floor general.  If the Knicks contend, then D'Antoni will keep his job, so he will not tolerate Anthony's disruption of the offense anymore.  Anthony will have to reintegrate or D'Antoni will limit his minutes in favor of players who can run his offense.  If that happens, how can the Knicks react?

Will they trade Anthony to the New Jersey Nets for Deron Williams?  

Don't laugh too soon.  The Nets' dream is to pair Williams with Dwight Howard, but that dream is quickly blowing up in their faces.  Magic owner Rich DeVos does not want to trade Howard, and the Nets are the worst team in the NBA.  If they wait until free agency, they risk seeing Deron Williams walk away to the Dallas Mavericks and remaining stuck in NBA purgatory for years.

Instead, they could flip Williams for Anthony, the player they coveted for months last year, and they could have him for the next half decade.  After all, this time he is signed for years and can't get out of the contract.  For their part, the Knicks would get Williams, a top-notch star, and because he has always wanted to play for the Knicks, they would be very likely to keep him. A core of Williams, Stoudemire, and Chandler can absolutely contend.

What about Jeremy Lin?  The Knicks new sensation's stock could not be any higher. If they traded him, perhaps to the Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Hornets or Utah Jazz, they could bring back a fourth young star to start a new era of Knicks basketball.

So watch closely.  If Anthony is not a compatible part of this offense, big changes could be coming to New York.