Knicks · Matt Burke: Knicks and Lakers Carmelo trade for 2016 draft pick a great fit for both sides (page 1)

More speculation from our beloved media corps. Saw this in the free paper Metro today. Don't know anything about the writer Matt Burke. Savvy insider or aspiring novelist?

http://www.metro.us/new-york/knicks-and-...

Knicks and Lakers Carmelo trade for 2016 draft pick a great fit for both sides

Luke Walton was given a plan by Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak that he liked. It's hard to imagine that that plan involved three-to-four more years of rebuilding.

The Lakers are the Lakers because they're never in rebuilding mode for more than a few years and this is now a franchise that has not won a playoff series since 2012. The pressure is on Kupchak to flip the script this summer, and the only way Los Angeles can instantly turn into a title contender is by trading their upcoming lottery pick. The rumors have already started.

"I've now been told by two separate sources that even if the Lakers get the No. 1 pick they're trading it," said FOX Sports radio host Colin Cowherd. "They don't want to rebuild anymore. They want to get a star NBA player. They will call teams if they get the No. 1 pick and shop it around the league."

A package involving this year's pick (LA currently has the second best odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick at 19.9 percent and they have a 55.8 percent chance of staying at No. 2) and last year's No. 2 overall pick - D'Angelo Russell - would catch the ear of any GM around the league. The trick for the Lakers is finding a team that already has a superstar in place and a team that craves young talent.

The Knicks are the best bet. Phil Jackson would not have a tough time selling a young core of Kristaps Porzingis, D'Angelo Russell and a Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram to New York fans. Carmelo Anthony is far from beloved in Manhattan, and the time just seems right for a blockbuster swap this summer. Jackson could mold that young core the way he wants, with no triangle interference from Carmelo.

As for the timing of a potential swap, the Lakers would be best advised to make a major move on or around draft day (June 23). If they already have a superstar like Anthony in place, anything is possible in free agency for LA (still the marquee destination in the league).

LeBron wants to form a superteam with Carmelo? What better place than in LA?

Kevin Durant is serious about winning a title? What better place than in LA?

Walton is the hottest coaching name in the league right now, mostly due to his association with the Warriors. If the Lakers are armed with a player of Anthony's caliber, a young, cheap, talented piece like Julius Randle, a name coach like Walton, and their unparalleled location - the formation of the superteam of superteams in Southern California is not out of the question.

Melo better have some guarantees from a couple of stars like Durant, Lebron or other big names before he'd even think about waiving his NTC to go to the Lakers. I'd take D.Russell and their 1st round pick without a doubt for Melo.

melo has a no trade clause!

I've given up all real hope for a Melo trade happening.... He has a NTC and he seems invested in living in New York City

If Phil really wants Melo to waive his NTC, he'll sign Jeremy Lin and make Rambis the coach. And then the next time they meet just sit there looking at him.

The more I look at our situation--that unless we can truly bring in a credible star player--I just dont think we will have nearly enough to imporve to where we d need to be with melo. Trading melo has to an option on the table--no? Ive been saying this a long time--nothing against Melo--but the time fit for him in his career with the position where the Knicks are--I dont think it works out/

BRIGGS wrote:The more I look at our situation--that unless we can truly bring in a credible star player--I just dont think we will have nearly enough to imporve to where we d need to be with melo. Trading melo has to an option on the table--no? Ive been saying this a long time--nothing against Melo--but the time fit for him in his career with the position where the Knicks are--I dont think it works out/

I concur. I don't think melo fits the timeline of this team! but he wants to be a knick and stay in nyc

Melo has the NTC and winning is secondary to being in NY, hey but that's loyalty.

I think Melo would go to LA if pressed. However since he has a no trade clause, he could ensure that the deal doesn't destroy the Lakers depth of ability to get talent around him. I would be shocked if the Knicks got anything more than the Lakers pick or D'Angelo Russell. They have enough capspace when the new cap comes into play to trade their first round pick for Melo. The Knicks would get the draft pick and a trade excemption of Melo's salary.

that's a great trade. That would be a killer move

Vmart wrote:Melo has the NTC and winning is secondary to being in NY, hey but that's loyalty.

Basically. He is here because he loves the city more than anything else....... just like everyone else in NY who wasn't born and raised here.

DrAlphaeus wrote:More speculation from our beloved media corps. Saw this in the free paper Metro today. Don't know anything about the writer Matt Burke. Savvy insider or aspiring novelist?

Definitely aspiring. Look at this horrific subject/pronoun agreement in the opening sentence:
"Luke Walton was given a plan by Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak that he liked."

I'm sure Mitch loved his own plan

fishmike wrote:that's a great trade. That would be a killer move

Not really

Russell, who I was high on in college, hasn't proven that can be a big time player in the NBA and this years draft class is pretty bad.

I know there aren't a lot of CBB watchers here but who can post a legit top 5 from this years draft class?

We all love the NBA draft but no why do you trade Melo for a pick this year. Other pieces need to be involved....

Swishfm3 wrote:

fishmike wrote:that's a great trade. That would be a killer move

Not really

Russell, who I was high on in college, hasn't proven that can be a big time player in the NBA and this years draft class is pretty bad.

I know there aren't a lot of CBB watchers here but who can post a legit top 5 from this years draft class?

We all love the NBA draft but no why do you trade Melo for a pick this year. Other pieces need to be involved....

This year's draft class isn't great. You can land a good player, but probably not a Towns or Porzingis level. Simmons has the upside, but his mental approach is even more questionable than Wiggins was. Ingram is the 2nd best talent and has upside as a really poor man's KD i think. Murray and Hield are both going to be good NBA starting SGs, but probably not stars. Bender, who i don't know much about, is like a poor man's Porzingis i guess. Dunn is the last high level talent, probably will impact the game like Mudiay as a rookie. Huge drop off after that i think.

Melo just finished a media tour. He was everywhere I interviewing from Sway in the morning to Dan Patrick.... he keeps saying he isn't going anywhere.

Now it's fun to talk about the possibility of Melo lifting his ntc.... but leave it at that. No need to turn it into a Phil is a retard debate, or Melo is a bitch debate.

Regardless the Knicks will always win no matter what happens.

SupremeCommander wrote:

DrAlphaeus wrote:More speculation from our beloved media corps. Saw this in the free paper Metro today. Don't know anything about the writer Matt Burke. Savvy insider or aspiring novelist?

Definitely aspiring. Look at this horrific subject/pronoun agreement in the opening sentence:
"Luke Walton was given a plan by Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak that he liked."

I'm sure Mitch loved his own plan

Ha! Now that's the stuff I was hoping for. Let's start critiquing these critics!

I will probably keep tabs on Burke now and see how his "reporting" pans out, but it really read like a creative writing essay versus any actual journalism.

EnySpree wrote:Melo just finished a media tour. He was everywhere I interviewing from Sway in the morning to Dan Patrick.... he keeps saying he isn't going anywhere.

Now it's fun to talk about the possibility of Melo lifting his ntc.... but leave it at that. No need to turn it into a Phil is a retard debate, or Melo is a bitch debate.

Regardless the Knicks will always win no matter what happens.

Good point. It's funny to see an article like this when the "Me7o + NTC = NYC 4EVA" equation has yet to be disproven.

Also suspect was the "Jackson could mold that young core the way he wants, with no triangle interference from Carmelo" line. I don't know what that is supposed to mean when it seemed like this was the year of DadMelo taking the kids on a road trip using Phil's hand drawn map.

Vmart wrote:Melo has the NTC and winning is secondary to being in NY, hey but that's loyalty.

He wouldn't win with the Lakers. He would be on a rebuilding team again.

CrushAlot wrote:

Vmart wrote:Melo has the NTC and winning is secondary to being in NY, hey but that's loyalty.

He wouldn't win with the Lakers. He would be on a rebuilding team again.

The difference is that Lakers have been known to attract Top tier Free agents. Knicks aren't known for that.

Vmart wrote:

CrushAlot wrote:

Vmart wrote:Melo has the NTC and winning is secondary to being in NY, hey but that's loyalty.

He wouldn't win with the Lakers. He would be on a rebuilding team again.

The difference is that Lakers have been known to attract Top tier Free agents. Knicks aren't known for that.

I listened to one of the beat writers for the lakers right after the season ended. He said The lakers are going to have a long, slow rebuild in their current situation. I dont think they have anything other than cap space to entice potential free agents. Big name guys generally don't leave because the cba pays them more to stay. When they do leave they go to the Spurs and possibly to the Warriors this year.

I want Randle not Russel. If they don't do that then sell Melo to think about Wade/Bosh and swing for some justice for us fans.