NBA Trade Rumors: Portland Players Claim Carmelo Anthony Considered Joining Them
Amid a whirlwind of reports on whether Carmelo Anthony was leaving the New York Knicks or not, players from the Portland Trailblazers claimed Anthony had considered joining them.
Recently, several players of the Trailblazers told the press that they personally reached out to Anthony and asked about the possibility of him transferring to Portland. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum claimed Anthony's response was positive.
McCollum told the media (via The Oregonian), "He can help us a lot; we can help him."
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He added: "He wants to play in the playoffs and be competitive. ... I think if we get him ... I think (we're) top three in the West easy."
When asked about Anthony's response, McCollum said he thought Anthony was interested. He said he understood that Anthony would prefer to play with his friends in the so-called "Banana Boat crew," including Chris Paul who is now in Houston and LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, but added: "I feel like we're also a very good option."
Lillard also confirmed that he and McCollum personally had a conversation with Anthony to relay the Trailblazers' interest in having him on the team. "We had a conversation ... so he knew that it wasn't just the team -- but it was myself and CJ -- (that) would love to have him here," Lillard said.
Right now, the New York Knicks' plan with Anthony is very vague. Knicks president Steve Mills has specifically said a contract buyout was not an option.
The Knicks was reportedly close to sealing a trade with the Houston Rockets for Anthony. However, with the arrival of the new Knicks general manager, Scott Perry, the New York front office decided to suspend the talks.
Even before the offseason, Anthony's days with the New York Knicks appeared to be numbered. Despite Phil Jackson leaving the team, newly installed officials have already made it clear that their long-term focus was of building the team around their younger players like Kristaps Porzingis, and it seems 33-year-old Anthony is not part of it. In fact, Mills also said the Knicks were prepared to move on with or without Anthony.
