Carmelo Anthony Trade Rumors: Celtics Not Interested in Deal for Knicks Star

The Boston Celtics reportedly informed the New York Knicks they aren't interested in acquiring superstar forward Carmelo Anthony amid rumors about a potential blockbuster trade. 

Sources told ESPN the teams did have exploratory talks last season about Anthony, but the Celtics told their Atlantic Division rivals they are no longer a possible trade partner.

It's hard to keep pace with all the Anthony buzz that's been leaked in recent days. He's been linked to numerous big-market teams, but there's no sign a trade is imminent.

Marc Stein and Chris Haynes of ESPN.com reported Thursday that the Cleveland Cavaliers joined the Celtics in rebuffing the Knicks' trade efforts. In that case, New York wanted to build a trade around the foundation of Anthony for Kevin Love.

Also Thursday, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News passed along word of seemingly more promising talks with the Los Angeles Clippers. The report noted the Knicks weren't seeking any of L.A.'s Big Three—Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan—in those discussions.

Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio added the Oklahoma City Thunder to the mix Friday. He said the idea of teaming Anthony with MVP contender Russell Westbrook intrigued the Thunder front office, but OKC sources acknowledged it was a long shot.

On Thursday, Adrian Wojnarowski and Chris Mannix of The Vertical passed along word that Knicks president Phil Jackson is "determined" to make a deal involving Anthony before the Feb. 23 trade deadline.

It's not a surprise the Celtics bowed out of the sweepstakes. Per Spotrac, they have only one player with a cap figure above $12 million (Al Horford), which means they would likely need to give up multiple impact pieces in order for the financial side to work out in a trade.

In addition, the Celtics are one of the league's top teams in terms of ball movement, ranking third in the NBA in assists per game (25.2). Adding an isolation scorer like the nine-time NBA All-Star selection would force head coach Brad Stevens to revamp his offensive approach.

So the Knicks' apparent efforts to move Anthony, who possesses a full no-trade clause, are hitting some early snags. They have less than a month before the deadline to work something out.