NBA Trade Rumors: Latest on Carmelo Anthony, Anthony Davis and More

The NBA draft, summer league and most of the free-agency news is in the rearview. But with players like Carmelo Anthony, Anthony Davis and Andre Drummond potentially on the trade market, this is an offseason that could generate headlines for months to come.

For Anthony, his issues have been dissected and analyzed too many times to count, but in the right situation, he could be one of the best second or third offensive options in the league.

Meanwhile, it might seem ludicrous for New Orleans to consider moving Davis, but a pattern is developing among small-market teams. Keep your guy for the first two contracts, and if things aren't moving in the right direction by then, lose him. As crazy as it sounds, some are suggesting the Pelicans might try to pre-empt such a move.

As for Drummond, the Detroit Pistons sunk a ton of money into a core that may not fit too well together. And Drummond's size and athleticism could make him intriguing as a rim-running, shot-blocking 5 for someone else.

Melo on the Move?

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Anthony and the New York Knicks are heading in different philosophical directions. And Melo could be headed in a different physical direction soon, too.

Anthony "has made it clear to [the Knicks]: I want to go to Houston," ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said on SportsCenter, per Marc Berman of the New York Post. "I am not interested in talking to you about being reincorporated back into this New York roster.”

The sentiment makes sense. Anthony has been in and out of trade rumors for what feels like the entire postseason. The rest of the roster is getting younger and hopefully, for the sake of New York fans, built around Kristaps Porzingis.

Anthony, now 33, may be starting to hear his NBA clock ticking. A chance to play with Chris Paul, James Harden and the Houston Rockets probably looks about as close to a title shot as any possible destination.

The problem, of course, is finding a deal that makes sense for everyone. Anthony's set to make $26.2 million in 2017-18. To work under current salary-cap rules, Houston would have to send out some big contracts. A rebuilding team like the Knicks isn't likely to be interested in a 29-year-old Ryan Anderson or 28-year-old Eric Gordon.

So, despite Anthony's desire to be moved, expect this standoff to last a little while longer. And if it ever does get resolved, don't be surprised if it's a three- or four-team deal with lots of moving parts.

Would the Pelicans Sell High on AD?

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Yes. At first glance, this one seems crazy. But just think about some of the big names who left the team that drafted them in the last couple of decades. Whether it was in free agency or by pushing for a trade, Anthony, LeBron James, Deron Williams, Kevin Durant and most recently Gordon Hayward all left.

So, if New Orleans starts to sense that Davis might want out, wouldn't it be crazy to not at least think about getting something in return for him? Surely, getting a king's ransom in a trade would be better than losing him for nothing.

And with all his asset-hoarding over the last few years, Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge may be just the guy who can offer that.

"The Pelicans are committed to seeing if an Anthony Davis-DeMarcus Cousins frontcourt can work," Chris Mannix of The Vertical wrote. "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."

Would something built around next year's Brooklyn Nets pick (likely to be near the top of the draft again), other firsts, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum be enough to pique the Pelicans' interest?

Like Mannix said, the season would probably have to go awry. Or maybe even completely sideways for New Orleans to seriously entertain anything.

The End of the Drummond Era in Detroit?

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When Stan Van Gundy first took over for the Pistons, there were visions floating through many an NBA fan's head about SVG launching Drummond's career in much the same fashion he did for Dwight Howard with the Orlando Magic.

But after three full seasons, Detroit's record under Van Gundy is 113-133 (.459) and the Pistons only have one playoff appearance. Drummond's box plus-minus in those three seasons is 0.1. It was 1.9 over the course of the two seasons prior, per Basketball Reference.

So, it's safe to say the SVG/Drummond partnership hasn't been perfect. According to Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post, Detroit may be at least entertaining the notion of moving on from its franchise big man:

"While Detroit was figuring out what to do with [Kentavious] Caldwell-Pope, the team also was taking calls on center Andre Drummond. But owner Tom Gores is a huge fan of Drummond, who started the 2016 All-Star Game. And with many teams sensing dissatisfaction from Coach and Team President Stan Van Gundy as it relates to his big man, none of the offers came close to meriting a serious discussion about Drummond’s future with the franchise."

Things may not be close now, but the fact that the Pistons are at least fielding offers is worth noting. If Detroit is in the middle of another underwhelming season around the 2018 trade deadline, it might have to start taking those offers a bit more seriously.