Knicks Rumors: Cleveland Cavaliers Not Giving In To Kevin Love Asking Price
New York Knicks Rumors: The Knicks are still trying to pry Kevin Love away from the Cleveland Cavaliers but they continue to hold steady on their stance to not trade Love.
New York Knicks rumors continue to circulate surrounding a Carmelo Anthony trade. Despite Anthony’s no-trade clause, rumors persist on where Anthony could be traded in the coming weeks. Anthony holds all the power, but that does not stop the rumors, especially when your own team wants to trade you.
Team President Phil Jackson is reportedly determined to trade Anthony by the trade deadline on February 23rd. Jackson has tried to engage the Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics in trade talks, but has found little traction.
Part of limited traction probably has to do with Anthony not giving a list of teams he would be willing to waive his no-trade clause for. People figure Anthony would like to play with his friends Chris Paul or LeBron James with the Clippers or Cavaliers; the Celtics were reported earlier this week as team he would waive his no-trade clause for as well.
If you ask Anthony, that is news to him.
"“I haven’t told anybody anything,” Anthony said Tuesday. “I haven’t had that conversation with anybody.”"
While he may not have had discussions with anyone, the Knicks have had talks with teams. Last week ESPN reported that the Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers were looking for a third team to help facilitate a deal.
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The Knicks also approached the Cavaliers about a Kevin Love for Anthony swap. The Cavaliers turned that deal down, but the two teams have kept a dialogue.
The Knicks are continuing to pursue Love in a deal with the Cavaliers according to ESPN, but Cleveland remains unwilling to part with Love. But, the Cavaliers do maintain interest in acquiring Anthony; they just want to do it without trading away Love.
If the Cavaliers are able to obtain Anthony without moving Love it would be quite a coup. Anthony could fill the same role off the Cavaliers bench as he did with Team USA as a sixth man off the bench that can be the focal point of the offense.
Anthony would be comfortable right away with the Cavaliers. He played alongside Kyrie Irving this summer with Team USA, he is best friends with LeBron James and has played multiple seasons in the NBA alongside J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert.
The question is, what will the Knicks be willing to take from the Cavaliers in exchange for Anthony? They do not have a first round pick they can trade until 2021, as they already traded away their 2017 pick to the Portland Trail Blazers and 2019 to the Atlanta Hawks.
If Love is not included in the deal, it could be difficult for the Knicks and Cavaliers to match up salary wise. That is the course the Knicks will probably have to take in any team that Anthony is involved in.
Not only does Anthony have a full no-trade clause, Anthony has a 15 percent trade kicker in his contract that will add $9.6 million to his remaining deal. That is a difficult salary for one team to absorb by themselves, and the Knicks do not have the roster space to take on multiple players without trading away some people.
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A trade of Anthony is complicated and will be difficult to execute prior to the NBA Trade Deadline in about three weeks. But, if Anthony gives the okay to management you can be sure they will already have multiple proposals and deals ready to take to the negotiating table with other teams.