Fans love to go on Twitter or head to the trade machine and come up with wild, three- or four-team blockbuster trades, then ask “who says no?”
Reality is different — the reason you see few three-team deals, and almost never ones larger than that, is it’s hard to put together those kinds of deal where all the parties are happy and think they did well. Some team is not going to just take on a crappy contract because they can, you’re going to have to give them real sweeteners to make a deal. That’s hard.
That’s where we are with Carmelo Anthony trade talks, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The New York Knicks and Houston Rockets have expanded the scope of a possible Carmelo Anthony trade to include four-team scenarios in a broader deal, league sources told ESPN.
No deal was imminent Wednesday, but the Knicks and Rockets are confident that they have a willing third-team trade partner incorporated into the framework, the sources said.
The fourth team was needed to move a particular player contract that neither the Knicks nor Rockets could or would accept in the deal, league sources said.
I don’t care how confident ‘Melo is, if that’s the scenario, the sides are really struggling to find a trade that works.
To make this work financially, the Rockets probably have to send out Ryan Anderson — who is owed three-years, $60 million still. He’s a quality stretch four but with a long injury history and an oversized contract, so if a third team is going to take him on they are going to want serious sweeteners such as multiple first-round picks, or young players of value. The Knicks nor Rockets don’t really have those they will give up, so now a fourth team with those assets needs to come into the picture, but if they are giving up something of real value what are they getting back?
The sides may be confident and want a deal, but I’m still skeptical.