At this time of year you can expect to hear almost any rumor from all directions, and here’s another one to ponder.
ESPN’s Chris Broussard is reporting that the New York Knicks would be interested in acquiring James Harden in exchange for Carmelo Anthony. This move would be in an effort to pair Melo with LeBron, assuming James signs with Houston.
Here’s how it could work theoretically, according to Ian Begley of ESPN New York:
If the Rockets cleared enough cap space to sign James by trading Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik, they would then try to execute a sign-and-trade with the Knicks for Anthony. Broussard reports that Harden would be a part of such a transaction. And the Knicks would be open to accepting Harden.
Broussard explains in further detail:
“A lot has been made about the possibility of James teaming up with Anthony, and few teams in the league have a better chance of pulling that off than Houston. The Rockets are confident they can trade Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin to clear the cap room necessary to offer near-max dollars. … Assuming the Rockets obtain the cap room to sign James or Anthony, the next step will be to give up their star guard James Harden in a sign-and-trade for whichever superstar (James or Anthony) they don’t sign as a free agent. Faced with the prospect of losing their superstars, both New York and Miami would be open to accepting Harden in a sign-and-trade.”
The idea of Dwight Howard, LeBron James, and Carmelo Anthony in Houston is tantalizing to think about. With James and Anthony publically stating their desire to play together, this report just added even more excitement to this year’s free agency period.
[h/t ESPN]
