Thunder trade rumors: is Carmelo Anthony in play?

Carmelo Anthony, the New York Knicks’ long-time anchor who has been rumored to be on the move to the Houston Rockets for the past week, may have another suitor.

According to The Ringer’s Bill Simmons, Sam Presti may have a hand in the game:

Given that Simmons’ assertion that Melo and Presti are doing the ol’ do-si-do a short while after it was all but a given that Anthony would be wearing Houston red in the near future, the fact that the Thunder may have moved into play is a surprise. Or maybe not.

As Simmons points out, a surprise key player in this junior high dance is Thunder assistant GM Troy Weaver:

Weaver was an assistant coach on the Syracuse basketball staff that recruited Anthony back in the early 2000s. Their relationship dates back even farther, as Weaver, a Washington D.C. native, has known Anthony since he was a teenager growing up in Baltimore.

There are two outstanding questions on the table: how would this deal work, and whether it is worthwhile to pursue if it does work.

To the first question, to make salaries work (Carmelo will make $26.2 million next year), another big salary player would have to be involved, which would put Steven Adams and Enes Kanter in the line of fire, along with other players to make it happen.

To the second question, it is the old adage, “there’s only one ball.” And to that, it is a question of what Melo wants to be the mark of his remaining legacy, as he is now 33 years old and his championship prospects as a lead player are dwindling. A Melo who is fine as the staggered 3rd scoring option that fuels the bench by playing pop-a-shot against 2nd teamers creates a dynamic team of scorers that could put the Warriors on notice. But a Melo that wants to still be a centerpiece on a playoff contender could be fraught with peril.

Perhaps here is a better question - would Carmelo rather play with Russell Westbrook and Paul George, or Chris Paul and James Harden?