Report: Cavaliers “backing far away” from Carmelo Anthony trade

Kevin Love is not completely off the table. There are maybe 10 guys in the entire NBA for which there is no price to make a trade work. However, Love falls into that next tier of “in theory you can get him but in reality there is no way another team would actually give up enough to make a deal.”

Carmelo Anthony is not enough. Not close. No sane GM is moving a 28-year-old, at his peak Love for 33-year-old and declining Anthony.

And the Cavaliers are not interested in a Love for ‘Melo swap, reports Joe Varden of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Multiple sources with knowledge of the Cavs’ thinking are also backing far away from a potential trade for Anthony. It doesn’t mean a deal for Anthony is entirely out of the question. Just mostly out.

That hesitancy stems from this: Teams never want to completely close the door, just in case. At this time of the year (and through much of the season) teams talk all the time to each other, gauging interest and value of their players and others. There is a Mississippi River of talk between teams, what becomes public is the cups of that water media members dip in and pull out. For teams, never say never, they never know what might develop. The story on this deal covers this.

So a deal for Love would have to make the Cavs better. Who they could acquire for Love and his huge contract that would actually improve the team is a small group. In fact, the Cavs would be more likely to seek multiple, gifted role players in return for Love who could play behind LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, instead of alongside them.

While the Cavs will not rule out trading Love (the only player entirely off limits, in any scenario, is James), several sources said it’s highly unlikely he’s moved by the Feb. 23 trade deadline.

Love is going to be a Cavalier after the deadline and heading into the playoffs. I could concoct some fantasy basketball trade scenario where Cleveland would move Love, but nobody makes those trades in the real world.

The Cavaliers have brought in Jordan Farmar, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they made a minor deal. Just don’t expect a blockbuster.

As for the Knicks, they will keep looking but I’d be very surprised if they can find a deal for Anthony by the Feb. 23 deadline. Which will make Krisptaps Porzingis happy.