The Los Angeles Clippers are treading a familiar path as they once again make it to the NBA playoffs this season. However, fans seem resigned to the fact that Paul Pierce, Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin will fall apart eventually despite their surging performance in the regular season. If they do make it off the playoffs and into the Western Conference Finals, chances of beating the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs or Houston Rockets seem very slim. Will a Carmelo Anthony trade change this situation for them?
The New York Knicks and Carmelo Anthony seem to be on the verge of a divorce soon. If the comments of Phil Jackson are to be believed, then the Derrick Rose team would have a new leader by next season. Among the NBA stars on their current roster, there is a huge chance that a rebuilding effort will be focused on young player Kristaps Porzingis. It remains to be seen if a Carmelo Anthony trade will also witness the exit of Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose, who were both shipped from the Chicago Bulls last NBA season.
"We've not been able to win with him on the court at this time," commented Phil Jackson of Carmelo Anthony. "I think the direction with our team is that he is a player that would be better off somewhere else and using his talents somewhere where he can win or chase that championship."
Rumors are rife that the Los Angeles Clippers will use the Carmelo Anthony contract to keep the current All-Star players on the roster. The addition of the New York Knicks star would help the DeAndre Jordan team attract more free agents in the market as well. More importantly, the fact that he is a scorer offers an attractive boost to the struggling NBA team.
"Kevin Durant soared over them, Steph Curry danced around them, and it was obvious the Clippers were missing something. Or, rather, someone. ... They were missing Carmelo Anthony," observed Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times of the performance of the Los Angeles Clippers against the Golden State Warriors earlier this year.
He added, "The Clippers would be the best team for which he has ever played. They would represent his best chance of winning a championship. They would offer him the opportunity to reconstruct the narrative of his career, which is that he is a scorer who can't win."
At this point, no official comment has been given by the parties concerned in the NBA rumor. Right now, the Los Angeles Clippers are focused on using their assets in Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Chris Paul and Paul Pierce to survive the NBA playoffs. Meanwhile, the New York Knicks are still stuck with the Carmelo Anthony contract until the All-Star decides to waive this part of his contract.
