As has become habitual with the Knicks each year, a new NBA rumor cycle starts up minutes after the annual trade deadline. These games at MSG in the next month and a half are mostly meaningless, so the attention is again focused on whether or not Phil Jackson should build around Carmelo. We now are led to believe that the thought of trading the Knicks’ superstar has at least crossed Jackson’s mind. The Celtics were interested in obtaining Carmelo at the trade deadline and Jackson hasn’t exactly come out screaming, “No way! We’ll never trade ’Melo!” in recent days. Anthony will be 32-years-old when next season begins. Even if everything were to magically fall into place in the next few years, when’s the earliest the Knicks could legitimately content for a championship? 2019? 2020? Carmelo would have played 16 NBA seasons by that time … that’s a lot of miles. So maybe it’s time for the Knicks to look at landing a younger superstar player? One obvious choice that comes to mind is Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving. Irving was raised in West Orange, New Jersey, is only 23-years-old and this week there were rumblings that he was unhappy being LeBron James’ sidekick in Cleveland. A report by the New York Daily News a few weeks back had the Knicks, Cavs and Celtics discussing a three-way trade that involved Carmelo heading to the Cavs to join forces with his buddy LeBron, Kevin Love being shipped to the Celtics and the Knicks obtaining a boatload of draft picks and young players from Boston. Maybe the Knicks should just cut out the middle man (Celtics) and go right for the best young player on any of the three teams in Irving. An Irving – Porzingis combo in New York would guarantee the Knicks years and years of playoff appearances.
Carmelo Anthony – Kyrie Irving trade might make sense for Knicks, Cavaliers
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