Houston receives: Carmelo Anthony
New York receives: Ryan Anderson, Tim Quarterman, Isaiah Taylor, Houston?s 2020 and 2022 first round picks and 2020 and 2021 second round picks
Look, contrary to reports that the Knicks apparently don?t want to receive Ryan Anderson back in a trade (with good reason), this is the easiest way to get this done.
The Rockets just signed James Harden to a $1 zillion Mexican peso contract extension that will take him through the 2022-23 season. Therefore, they have to know that even if Carmelo and Chris Paul walk after this season, they?re still in decent shape going forward. Those picks probably figure to be, at worst, late-teens picks with Harden in tow. And considering Daryl Morey?s track record as a free agent recruiter, you can bet that Melo and Paul would be replaced by another star or two sooner than later if they left.
As far as the Knicks? side of things, they?re giving up the best player in the deal by far and receiving no actual players of value, so the two firsts and two seconds make up for that. Anderson?s not a bad player, per se, but a terrible fit for the Knicks on an even more terrible contract. His deal is why the Knicks get that second first rounder ? essentially it?s one pick for Melo, the other for taking on Anderson?s deal. Quarterman and Taylor would certainly be worth bringing to camp, and maybe one of them would flourish into a role player (a la Justin Holiday), but they?re mostly just salary filler on non-guaranteed deals.
This isn?t my favorite solution to this situation in the slightest, but if both sides want a swift resolution, it?s the way to go.