Knicks Reportedly Contacted Clippers About Carmelo Anthony Trade

The New York Knicks, in search of a roster shake-up, have reportedly started calling teams regarding potential deals involving Carmelo Anthony.

Among those clubs are the Los Angeles Clippers.

Ramona Shelburne and Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported Friday the Clippers and Knicks are seeking a third team to facilitate a trade and "that the Knicks continue to discuss the prospect of sending Anthony to Los Angeles without taking back any of the Clippers' top three stars but have struggled to find a trade construction that works for both teams involving the other players on L.A.'s roster."

While The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski and Chris Mannix reported Thursday the Knicks have also reached out to the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers about a deal centering around Anthony, they noted the Clippers "are a team that would interest" the 32-year-old.

The Knicks' motive, according to Wojnarowski and Mannix, is "to rid the roster of Anthony and his contract and start rebuilding around Kristaps Porzingis."

Season	Base Salary	Year Type
2016-17	$24,559,380	Guaranteed
2017-18	$26,243,760	Guaranteed
2018-19	$27,928,140	Early-Termination Option

In a separate report Thursday, the New York Daily News' Frank Isola confirmed the Clippers and Knicks have discussed a deal that would send Anthony to Los Angeles. Isola also reported the Knicks would not receive Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan or Blake Griffin as compensation for the nine-time All-Star.

Instead, a package for Anthony "would likely include one or even two players from the group of Jamal Crawford, J.J. Redick or Austin Rivers," according to Isola.

Based on Anthony's pedigree, that's hardly an enticing haul. Plus, the Clippers don't have much in the way of draft picks to trade. According to RealGM, the Clippers owe their 2017 first-round pick to the Toronto Raptors and their 2019 first-round selection to the Celtics.

Thanks to the league's Stepien Rule—which prohibits teams from trading first-round picks in consecutive years—the best the Clippers could do is deal the Knicks a 2021 first-rounder.

Contingencies also abound.

Even if the two sides agree to the framework of a deal, Anthony would have to waive his no-trade clause for the transaction to be finalized.

With that said, Anthony has appeared more amenable to entertaining that option lately.

"I mean, if they want to go in a different direction, that's something that I have to consider," he said Wednesday, according to ESPN.com's Tim MacMahon. "I would have to consider that."

With less than a month to go until the Feb. 23 trade deadline, Anthony's name figures to dominate the rumor mill as the Knicks intensify their search for a trade partner that can accommodate their desire to start rebuilding.