Let’s make a Carmelo Anthony trade, part 3: Reader’s choice!

Welcome back, everyone! Are you tired of these Carmelo Anthony trade speculation pieces yet?

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Too bad! I promised a mailbag version, and damn it, I’m going to deliver!

In the interest of getting to as many as possible here, I’m going to try to contain my analyses to about a paragraph. My basic guidelines are: 1) all trades are passed through ESPN’s Trade Machine; 2) I assume Melo would waive his 15 percent trade kicker to facilitate a trade; 3) draft pick allocations are here; 4) these trades don’t all satisfy the “every team in a trade must send something to every other team” rule, but that’s easily remedied with heavily-protected second-round picks; and 5) draft pick protections are implied if they’re not explicitly stated.

Here we go. One last time. Let’s make a Carmelo trade!

From Tweeter @leiboadam

Houston receives: Carmelo Anthony, Courtney Lee

Milwaukee receives: Ryan Anderson, Eric Gordon

New York receives: Greg Monroe, Matthew Dellavedova, Spencer Hawes, Tim Quarterman, Isaiah Taylor, Milwaukee’s 2018 second-round pick

Interesting trade, in that it saves the Knicks from taking on a lot of gross long-term salary. Houston ditches Gordon, who has seemed nigh untouchable in the Melo negotiations, but gets back a more than solid replacement in Lee. The Bucks get some serious floor spacing. The Knicks add former target Monroe (expiring) and probable Pizzagate truther Hawes. Dellavedova isn’t great, but he is a “veteran” and a “point guard” so he could mentor Frank Ntilikina or something. Wish the Knicks got a first somehow though.

Grade: B

From Tweeter @ShwinnyPoohNBA, AKA P&T commenter The Ghost of Kristaps Past

Cleveland receives: Carmelo Anthony, Jeremy Lamb

Charlotte receives: Kevin Love

New York receives: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Channing Frye, Kay Felder, Charlotte’s 2018 first (lotto protected)

Requires the Cavs being willing to part with Love, but if they are, this makes sense. Charlotte’s a great landing spot for Love—he and Dwight Howard would be a lovely fit, and a starting lineup featuring Kemba Walker, Malik Monk, Nic Batum, Love and Howard is probably a mid-to-high playoff seed in the East. The Knicks get a young, defense-first player on a decent contract and a first at some point. Sounds good to me.

Grade: B+

From P&T commenter Prezs2ReprsntMe

Houston receives: Carmelo Anthony

Oklahoma City receives: Ryan Anderson, Courtney Lee, Isaiah Taylor

New York receives: Enes Kanter, Alex Abrines, Doug McDermott, Tim Quarterman, Chinanu Onuaku, Shawn Long, Houston’s 2020 first-round pick, Oklahoma City’s 2022 first-round pick

This one works for all parties, I think. OKC continues to add lots and lots of shooting around Russell Westbrook and Paul George, and ditch Kanter’s big deal to the Knicks (though I have my doubts that they’d also give a first-round pick). The Knicks get a big contract in Kanter and a bunch of experimental guys, perfect for a probable rebuild/tank year.

Grade: B+

From Tweeter @morgancdunn

Houston receives: Carmelo Anthony

Charlotte receives: Ryan Anderson, Trevor Ariza

New York receives: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Cody Zeller

Charlotte was a popular choice from the fan vote. And why not? They’re a team that’s seemingly trying to make some noise in the weakened East this season, and they’re one of the few teams where Anderson would probably be more of an asset than an albatross. With limited cap flexibility over the next few years anyway, they’re in a position where taking on Anderson doesn’t kill them. Meanwhile, he’s a great fit with Dwight Howard. Houston presumably doesn’t want to give up Ariza, but they also just signed PJ Tucker and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, so I think they’d be OK. Especially since they don’t have to give up a draft pick.

Grade: A-

From P&T commenter Aspano

Houston receives: Carmelo Anthony

Portland receives: Ryan Anderson, Chinanu Onuaka, Tim Quarterman

Chicago receives: Meyers Leonard, Houston’s 2022 first-round pick, a future Portland second-round pick

New York receives: Moe Harkless, Ed Davis, Houston’s 2020 first-round pick

Here’s the convoluted stuff you guys have surely been itching at the collar for. Lots of moving parts, but it could maybe work? I worry that Chicago might not love this deal, although it is a good way to turn their Jimmy Butler trade exception into some picks. The Knicks come out smelling like roses in this trade, and that’s what worries me. This team makes me nervous when things seem too good to be true.

Grade: B-

From P&T commenter Barnaby8787

Houston receives: Carmelo Anthony

Detroit receives: Ryan Anderson, Isaiah Taylor, Chinanu Onuaka, a future Houston first

New York receives: Ish Smith, Tobias Harris

I like this trade! I mean, obviously I like all of these to a degree or I wouldn’t have written about them. But this one makes a lot of sense. The Knicks don’t get any future picks, but get a decent enough Melo replacement in Harris, who’s OK on defense and can presumably either play small forward or a small-ball power forward. Ish Smith fits the role of “veteran point guard” that the Knicks want, and at a reasonable price. Detroit gets a future first and Anderson, who once played well under coach/GM Stan Van Gundy and would probably fit pretty well with Andre Drummond.

Grade: A-

From Tweeter @Bennie_Blanco

Cleveland receives: Carmelo Anthony, Lance Thomas

Milwaukee receives: Tristan Thompson, Iman Shumpert

New York receives: Greg Monroe, John Henson, Matthew Dellavedova, Milwaukee’s 2018 first-round pick

An interesting new take on the Melo/Cleveland trade front, where the Cavs don’t give up Kevin Love nor Kyrie Irving. Noted rim protector and LeBron friend Thompson goes to Milwaukee, where he’d be a good fit with their core. This move probably doesn’t make Kyrie any happier, but the Cavs could easily seek another trade for him separate of this one (the Suns and a return of Eric Bledsoe have come up repeatedly in rumors). The Knicks get the Monroe (an expiring contract), Delly and Henson, who could be a good first big off the bench. Henson fits with either Kristaps Porzingis or Willy Hernangomez, in theory. A first rounder this year in the 20-ish range would be nice too.

Grade: B

From P&T commenter Robb Negron

Cleveland receives: Carmelo Anthony

Utah receives: Kevin Love, Channing Frye

New York receives: Derrick Favors, Dante Exum, Joe Johnson, Kay Felder

This is another one of those where I’m like, “This is too good to be true, it couldn’t be the Knicks.” Favors is a pretty good big man, certainly good enough to be your first big off the bench. Exum is a project, but so is Ntilikina, and hopefully they could become best friends and grow together. Johnson would probably be bought out or something, and that’s fine. Or if he stays, he can take some of the scoring load off of KP and Tim Hardaway Jr. The Jazz get Love, who will make all of their fans forget about Gordon Hayward in a hot second. I have some doubts about Cleveland pulling the trigger here, however. Maybe if they got Kyle O’Quinn and absorbed him into their Mike Dunleavy trade exception?

Grade: B-

From P&T commenter ymandj

Cleveland receives: Joakim Noah, Kyle O’Quinn, Lance Thomas, New York’s 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024 first-round picks

New York receives: LeBron Mofuckin James

Hoo sez no??

Grade: A+

From P&T’s own Dillon Dente, AKA @NYBBObserver

Yes please!

Grade: A+++

Depending on what corner of Twitter you explore, some people say a Melo trade could be right around the corner. Get all those last minute ideas out of your brain in the comments below!