Knicks Trade Rumors: Examining 2017 Deadline Reports

It only seems right the next domino to fall in the world of NBA trades is Carmelo Anthony. 

If the Sacramento Kings can part ways with DeMarcus Cousins, surely the New York Knicks can begin a rebuild of their own by shipping away Anthony, provided he waives his no-trade clause.

Sounds crazy, but so did the idea of the Kings moving the league's best center who sat in the middle of his prime and made it rather clear he didn't want to leave town. Ditto for the Kings settling for a deal most fans would have perhaps scoffed at.

Sprinkle in some of the odd drama concerning Anthony, Phil Jackson and other happenings around the franchise, and it isn't hard to see why the Knicks could be the biggest movers when it comes to trade rumors ahead of Thursday's 3 p.m. deadline. Here's a look at the latest.

Derrick Rose a Hot Commodity

In reality, Derrick Rose seems like the veteran likeliest to move ahead of the deadline. 

The Knicks have received exactly what they expected from Rose—a quality slasher who averages 17.7 points per game but doesn't distribute the ball all that well and remains a liability on defense. His addition to the mix would either propel the Knicks to the playoffs or keep them stuck in neutral. Well out of the playoff race at 23-34, it's the latter.

Add in the random "leaving the team" thing, and it's not hard to see why other teams might come calling about Rose. ESPN.com's Ian Begley confirmed the notion: "Multiple teams view Rose as a potential trade target, according to league sources."

And why not?

The drama and disappointing campaign for Rose, not to mention his checkered injury history, would make him a value buy for a contender looking to add depth. On the other end of the spectrum, a team looking to free up cap space could eat the 28-year-old's contract, which expires after the season.

Regardless, the Knicks wouldn't look like a team heading toward a trade of its starting point guard if things had worked out. But that was the gamble in bringing Rose on in the first place—a rental of sorts who could propel a rebuild or simply pass through town.

With the deadline fast approaching, Rose might not make it a full season.

All Things Carmelo Anthony

One gets the impression Anthony won't let Jackson or the Knicks front office deal him.

The back-and-forth speculation about Anthony's future in the Big Apple has been fun, but it all hinges on the superstar himself and the no-trade clause smartly written into his contract. He's never been shy about proclaiming he wants to be in New York.

So it shouldn't come as a surprise then that The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski and Chris Mannix teamed up to reveal an Anthony trade is dead in the water.

No shocker here. Maybe Rose hasn't panned out the way some would have hoped and Kristaps Porzingis, while great, hasn't taken over and led the Knicks to new heights just yet. But remember, as recent as January, Anthony met with Jackson to stress the fact he wanted to remain with the team, according to the New York Daily News' Frank Isola.

A deal would really need to blow Anthony away to make him sign off on a move—and rumored deals haven't exactly boasted encouraging outlooks.

For example, ESPN.com's Zach Lowe noted the Los Angeles Clippers still have an interest in perhaps making a deal. But why would Anthony, now 32 years old, want to join the Clippers in the Western Conference halfway through a season and fight for a middling playoff seed while trying to fit into one of the NBA's annually disappointing teams? And how deeply would the Clippers need to be to carve up the established roster to swing a deal in the first place?

Elsa/Getty Images

Same story for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon slightly left the door open for a LeBron James-Anthony pairing.

"The Cavs are trying to use a trade exception that expires Monday and also continue to explore the very slight possibility of acquiring Carmelo Anthony by Thursday's deadline," Vardon wrote.

As fun as James and Anthony on the same team would be, Cleveland would need to find a third team to somehow compensate the Knicks enough to make it happen, lest they need to sweeten the deal by coughing up Kevin Love or another major asset that has helped them remain in first place in the Eastern Conference.

Not to mention Anthony doesn't seem like one keen on sacrificing a bit of legacy to join a superteam and chase titles as his career wanes. Building up the Knicks as his career fades has seemed like the objective for years. Plus, joining James and the Cavaliers doesn't change the fact the game is played with one ball at a time.

The Knicks might be better off viewing Anthony's resolve and desire to stay in New York as a good thing. He's still averaging 23.4 points per game, a number up from last year. His points per 40 minutes are higher this year as well at 27.5, compared to 24.9.

One can even put the numbers aside and come to the same conclusion. It's not often a superstar wants to remain with a middling team and is committed to helping the front office build it up. If Anthony doesn't want to leave, fans can reasonably expect the Knicks to walk back the odd rebuilding strategy featuring Rose and Joakim Noah and start molding the roster around him again.

That's probably the best-case scenario because it doesn't sound like Anthony has plans to leave the Knicks anytime soon.

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.