Just days before training camps kick off around the NBA, the last big move fans were waiting for has finally come down. For months it has been believed that the New York Knicks would deal Carmelo Anthony and now it has finally come down.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Knicks have agreed to deal Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder:
New York has agreed to a deal to send Carmelo Anthony to OKC for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and a draft pick, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 23, 2017
This is a huge move for the Thunder who had already added All-Star Paul George to go along with reigning MVP Russell Westbrook. With Anthony now in the mix, the Thunder now look like one of the biggest threats to the defending champion Golden State Warriors.
The Knicks had long been at a stalemate as Anthony’s preferred destination was the Houston Rockets and he refused to waive his no-trade clause for anyone else. The Rockets, however, didn’t have the pieces the Knicks wanted to facilitate a deal, leading to Anthony expanding his list of teams.
This trade could also potentially bring some bad news to the Lakers. In the immediate future, it makes the Western Conference even tougher than it already was. The Warriors, Thunder, Spurs, and Rockets look like a clear top four teams, the Timberwolves and Nuggets added All-Star players, and the Clippers, Jazz, Grizzlies, Blazers, Pelicans and Mavericks are all tough as well.
In the bigger picture, however, great success with the Thunder could convince Paul George to remain in Oklahoma City and this team could make a run to the Western Conference Finals.
Things are finally set to kick off this week as the craziness of the NBA offseason literally lasted the entire summer.