New York Knicks: Jeff Van Gundy Discusses Possible Carmelo Anthony Trade

Former New York Knicks head coach Jeff Van Gundy recently came out and discussed the team possibly trading Carmelo Anthony. Here is what he had to say.

Due to the New York Knicks struggling this season, there has been plenty of trade rumors surrounding Carmelo Anthony. The two teams that seem to be interested in the former All-Star are the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Clippers.

From the Knicks point of view, the two teams have different options to offer. In a deal with the Cavaliers, the Knicks seem intent on getting forward Kevin Love in a deal for Anthony. While the Cavaliers would love to have Anthony, Van Gundy doesn’t believe it makes any sense for them to swap Love for him.

"“It all depends on who it’s for,’’ Van Gundy, now a commentator for ESPN, told Marc Berman The Post regarding the Cavaliers’ interest. “To take an All-Star out to replace it with another, I wouldn’t think would be the goal. I would think keeping your main guys in place and making a deal with periphery people and draft choices to get another star talent.”"

In a deal with the Clippers, the Knicks don’t seem to mind if they don’t acquire Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, or DeAndre Jordan back in a deal for Anthony. This, of course, would be a big deal for the Clippers to help them contend with the stars in Golden State.

If Anthony were to be traded to the Clippers, Van Gundy believes that he would be best-suited coming off of the bench. While that might sound crazy, Van Gundy makes some interesting points.

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“Great players can adjust to anything,’’ Van Gundy said to Berman. “He can start, obviously. It’s not that he’s not one of their five best players. It’s trying to fit into the rotation that keeps enough firepower on the court. So they get healthy, they have guys who can score and still have DeAndre [Jordan] and Luc [Mbah a Moute]. If you’re bringing off Anthony at the 3 [or] 4, his ability when Griffin and Paul rest to carry an offense would be a perfect fit.’’

In a possible trade with the Clippers, their depth would likely be going back to New York. While it seems crazy to bring a player like Anthony off of the bench, he would have the offense run through him when Paul and or Griffin were off the court. Also, Anthony would be able to play power forward during those stretches.

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It might sound crazy, but Van Gundy brings up a lot of good points. With a full no-trade clause in his contract, Anthony would have to approve any deal.

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