NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Carmelo Anthony, Kawhi Leonard, More
The Oklahoma City Thunder wanted to trade high-scoring Carmelo Anthony, and they found a willing trade partner in the Atlanta Hawks Thursday.
The Hawks are expected to waive Anthony, according to ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski. When that happens, the Houston Rockets appear to be the No. 1 contender for his services. The Miami Heat also appear to be in contention for a potential pairing with Anthony, per Wojnarowski.
According to the terms of the deal between the Thunder and the Hawks, Atlanta sent guard Dennis Schroder and forward Mike Muscala to the Thunder for Anthony and a protected first-round pick in the 2022 NBA draft. If that pick is not in the 1-14 range, Oklahoma City gets the selection. If it is in that range, the Thunder will receive two second-round picks.
Anthony was acquired by the Thunder from the New York Knicks prior to training camp in 2017, and he changed positions from small forward to power forward at the team's request. He never appeared to fully accept the position switch, and he played a reduced role in the Thunder's playoff series against the Utah Jazz. He averaged 11.8 points per game in that series while shooting 21.4 percent from beyond the arc.
Anthony averaged 16.2 points per game last season, but he has averaged 24.1 points per game average throughout his 16-season NBA career. He would likely have an opportunity to improve on last year's figures with a team like the Rockets.
Schroder is a play-making guard with plenty of speed, and he should be a solid backup for Russell Westbrook. He became expendable after the Hawks acquired the rights to Trae Young, the No. 5 pick in the 2018 NBA draft, in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks.
Leonard Warming to the Idea of Toronto Move
The Anthony news came shortly after the blockbuster trade between the San Antonio Spurs and the Toronto Raptors that saw Kawhi Leonard go north of the border and DeMar DeRozan go to San Antonio.
While initial reports had both players having issues with their destinations, Wojnarowski reported that Leonard is starting to accept the idea of playing for the Raptors (h/t The Score's Chris Walder).
Leonard, who played just nine games last season as a result of a quad injury, will report to Toronto's training camp and play for the Raptors this season, per Wojnarowski.
That does not mean he has changed his long-term plans to play in Los Angeles for the Lakers or Clippers when he becomes a free agent after the 2018-19 season, but he apparently will accept the trade. The Raptors will have a full season to try to convince Leonard to sign a new deal with them. Since he is currently on the Toronto roster, the Raptors will have the ability to offer him a five-year, $190 million contract.
Celtics Give Smart Impressive Payday
The Boston Celtics were under no obligation to give restricted free agent Marcus Smart a new contract. They could have made him play for their qualifying offer of one year at $6.05 million.
Instead, the Celtics chose to make their fifth-year guard happy by giving him a four-year, $52 million deal, per Christopher L. Gasper of the Boston Globe.
In addition to the money he will receive, the Celtics sent a message to Smart that they value his all-out, hustling play that often results in big plays on defense and occasionally on offense.
Smart averaged 10.2 points and 4.8 assists per game last season and shot 36.7 percent from the field.
His offensive limitations could be an issue with many NBA teams, but since the Celtics have so many scoring options in Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Al Horford, they can afford a player with limited offensive potential.
