Carmelo no longer at core in Big Apple

Knicks trade Anthony to Oklahoma City

NEW YORK - Carmelo Anthony won't be the focus at the New York Knicks training camp after all.

He'll be in Oklahoma City, joining Russell Westbrook and Paul George in a loaded lineup.

The Knicks on Saturday agreed to trade Anthony to the Thunder, saving themselves a potentially awkward reunion next week with the player they had been trying to unload since last season.

New York will get Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and a draft pick, a source with knowledge of the deal said on Sunday. The source spoke with Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade had not been announced.

The Knicks had said just a day earlier that they expected Anthony to be there when they open camp on Monday. But it was clear they didn't want him anymore and he no longer wanted to be in New York, where he arrived with so much hype that was never fulfilled in February 2011.

While Anthony rarely had a championship lineup around him in New York, he jumps right into one in Oklahoma City along with Westbrook, the NBA MVP, and fellow All-Star George, who was acquired from Indiana this summer.

Anthony will see his old teammates when the Knicks open the regular season at Oklahoma City on Oct 19.

Phil Jackson spent the latter part of his time as president of the Knicks making it clear he wanted to move Anthony.

A deal was difficult because the 33-year-old forward has two years and about $54 million left on his contract, along with the right to reject any trade.

He had long maintained he wanted to stay in New York, but the constant losing and a chance to play with a talented lineup convinced him it was finally time to go.

After making the playoffs each of his first 10 seasons, he has been on the sidelines the past four years and said at the end of last season his priority was a chance to win.

He wouldn't have that in New York, where the Knicks are on a youth kick and have little proven talent to surround a superstar.

Anthony should fit in nicely with the Thunder, where he is close with Westbrook, the league's MVP, and George.

He can possibly settle into the spot-up shooter role he's played in the Olympics, where he's won a record three gold medals and is the career scoring leader for Team USA.

The trade ends an unfulfilling 6 1/2-year run in New York for Anthony, where he could never shake his reputation as an elite scorer who can't carry a team to a title.

The Knicks made the playoffs his first three seasons and reached the second round in 2013, when Anthony led the league with 28.7 points per game.

He averaged 22.4 points last season and made his 10th All-Star Game, though that was the second straight season he finished well off his career average of 24.8 points per game.

Associated Press

(China Daily 09/25/2017 page23)