From the Big Apple to Canada?
As NBA experts and insiders try to find a landing spot for the Knicks to deal Carmelo Anthony, the usual suspects (Cavaliers, Clippers, Celtics) have been atop every list over the last few weeks.
Why Knicks should trade Carmelo AnthonyThe Undefeated's Marc Spears decided to go further, adding an Eastern Conference contender to the mix: Toronto Raptors.
Here's why Spears thinks there's a legit selling point for the Raptors to convince Anthony to waive his no-trade clause and take his game north:
Anthony said during the 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend in Toronto that he is a fan of the Canadian city. With the Toronto Raptors, he would join forces with a star-studded backcourt of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. All three were teammates on USA Basketball's 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics gold medal-winning team. Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri actually traded Anthony to the Knicks while serving as the Nuggets' general manager. Toronto has had its eye on landing a power forward like Orlando's Serge Ibaka before the trade deadline, a source said. But if the Raptors can't land Ibaka, perhaps Anthony is the next best move. O Canada, get Melo.
Anthony as a small-ball power forward in Toronto would be fascinating. If--and it's a big if--the Raptors could do a deal and keep scorers like Lowry and DeRozan happy, the team could put up enough points to scare every Eastern Conference contender. That includes the Cavs.
Melo trade rumors
Heading into play on Feb. 10, the Raptors sat at 32-22 and in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings.
The NBA trade deadline is on Feb. 23.
Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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