Carmelo Anthony Trade: 5 trade packages for Carmelo Anthony that will benefit both parties
The Oklahoma City Thunder finished their second consecutive season with an ignominious first-round exit. This time around, they even had home court against the Utah Jazz, but their loss in Game 2 proved to be too much for them to overcome, as the Jazz ramped up their execution in clutch time in Game 6 to close the deal then and there.
Carmelo Anthony performed way below par in the postseason, and in a press conference following the Thunder's exit, he stated the following:
"The player that they wanted me to be and needed me to be was for the sake of this season...Everything was just thrown together, and it wasn't anything that was planned out. It wasn’t no strategy to me being here, me being a part of the actual system and what type of player and things like that."
"As far as being effective as that type of player, I don’t think I can be effective as that type of player. I think I was willing to accept that challenge and that role, but I think I bring a little bit more to the game as far as being more knowledgeable and what I still can do as a basketball player."
He confirmed that he intends to opt in for the final year of his contract, which guarantees him nearly $28 million for the 2018-19 season. Amid rumors that the front office is looking to trade him away, we present 5 plausible trade packages to you which the Thunder could execute over this offseason:
#1 Sacramento Kings
What the Kings receive: Carmelo Anthony, cash considerations
What the Thunder receive: Iman Shumpert, Kosta Koufos and Garrett Temple
Why the Kings agree to the deal: The Kings do not have a true scorer on their roster. With veterans Zach Randolph and Vince Carter out of a contract this summer, the Kings have just $61 million in guaranteed wages for the 2018-19 season.
They could look to the free agent market to try and sign some of the high-scoring players available this offseason, but ultimately, few players have ever gone to Sactown as free agents.
By trading for Anthony, they can add a scorer who can get his own points on every night, while Anthony's veteran experience will be of good use to a team that's losing its two seniormost players for next season.
Why the Thunder agree to the deal: Iman Shumpert has been one of the better late-first-round draft picks of the 2010s. In full fitness and with a good offseason with his team, the Thunder can mould Shumpert back into the player who the Cleveland Cavaliers traded for in January 2015.
Garrett Temple, while playing the second-highest number of minutes per game through his career last season, averaged a 39.2% conversion rate on 3.5 attempts from downtown. The Thunder do not have a reliable 3-point shooter on their roster, which is why they would welcome this aid to their long-range shooting.
Kosta Koufos is on an expiring deal and can be traded mid-season to a team looking to free up cap space to pursue one of the big free agent targets in the summer of 2019.