New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony has finally been traded after a summer of speculation. He’s headed to the Oklahoma City Thunder, joining Russell Westbrook and Paul George on what is becoming an elite roster. The Knicks will get Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and a future draft pick in return.
After the word around the NBA all summer was the Houston Rockets or possibly the Cleveland Cavaliers as landing spots, the 33-year-old Anthony recently expanded his list to the Thunder or Portland Trail Blazers. With Anthony’s no-trade clause in his contract, he was able to dictate his next landing spot.
The sense of urgency was also established, as the 10-time All-Star was set on leaving the Big Apple before the preseason. Anthony will be entering the fourth year of his five-year contract this season and will be locked into the 2018-19 season before becoming an unrestricted free agent. With Westbrook and George set to be unrestricted free agents after the 2017-2018 season, the Thunder are going all in on this year’s team, with three All-Star players now on a roster that looks capable of challenging the Golden State Warriors.
New-Look Thunder
Anthony averaged 22.4 points per game and 5.9 rebounds last season, shooting 35.9 percent from deep. The offense of the Thunder now has Westbrook and Anthony to tangle with — some of the best isolation players in the game. On the defensive side George, Steven Adams and Andre Roberson make an impressive front, with Patrick Patterson coming over in free agency from the Toronto Raptors and taking the place of Kanter as a dynamic swingman off the bench. This team has adjusted after the Kevin Durant loss from a season ago, looking locked and loaded for a playoff run.
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