NBA Rumors: Latest Trade Buzz Surrounding Carmelo Anthony, Anthony Davis

It's the dead of July. The NBA Summer League is over. The draft is but a speck in the rearview mirror. Free agency has, for the most part, come and gone.

But, luckily for year-round fans, superstars are being thrown around in trade rumors.

Carmelo Anthony's saga with the New York Knicks has been well-documented, but Frank Isola of the New York Daily News added a twist on Tuesday.

Days after ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the new front office, headed by president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry, wanted to talk with 'Melo "about possibly reincorporating him into the organization," Isola wrote that the Knicks "remain as committed" as the 10-time All-Star to completing a deal with the Houston Rockets.

Isola added that Mills informed Anthony's reps that things would slow down so the team could officially introduce Perry before moving forward.

The 33-year-old Anthony is one of three NBA players with a no-trade clause, which was a point of much consternation between the high-scoring forward and former president Phil Jackson. For months, Anthony seemed determined to stay near his family in New York. Houston acquiring Chris Paul, 'Melo's friend and a noted member of the "Banana Boat," seems to have changed that.

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Wojnarowski said on a Tuesday SportsCenter airing that Melo's "made it clear: 'I want to go to Houston. I am not interested in talking to you about being reincorporated back into this New York roster.'"

Per Isola, the deal is nearly done—but there's one major problem: finding a home for Ryan Anderson and the $60 million he's owed the next three years. The Portland Trail Blazers are only interested in acquiring 'Melo, not facilitating a move elsewhere, per Woj.

Blazers guard CJ McCollum posted an image of 'Melo in a Rip City uniform on his Instagram page on Sunday:

It seems unlikely that one comes to fruition, being that Anthony's primary destinations are Houston and Cleveland—and, if he so chooses, only those two.

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Unlike 'Melo, Anthony Davis' name has seldom come up in trade rumors. According to Spotrac, the 24-year-old star is signed through 2020-21, having agreed to a five-year, $145 million max extension with the New Orleans Pelicans last summer.

To be clear, the Pels have shown no interest in dealing The Brow. But the Boston Celtics seem determined to pry him away.

According to The Vertical's Chris Mannix, general manager Danny Ainge and the rest of the front office will keep a keen eye on New Orleans. If things go downhill, Boston could push all its chips to the table and try to acquire a superstar that'd vault the team into championship contention.

Here's Mannix:

"Rival executives expect Boston to be keeping close tabs on New Orleans, which is entering a critical season. The Pelicans are committed to seeing if an Anthony Davis-DeMarcus Cousins frontcourt can work, but if the season goes awry, it's widely believed the Celtics will make a strong run at Davis, who is under contract through 2020."

The Brow, Gordon Hayward and Isaiah Thomas is a serious trio. Throw in Jalen Brown, Jae Crowder and the other strong role players Boston's assembled over the years, and you've got what appears to be a legitimate contender.