NBA free agency is just around the corner, and one recent report indicates that Carmelo Anthony may be interested in a reunion with the New York Knicks if the downtrodden franchise can trade for star point guard Chris Paul.
Marc Berman of the New York Post reported that Anthony would be open to returning to New York if the team could get a deal for Paul done.
“However, if point guard Chris Paul makes his way to the Knicks via a trade, sources have said Anthony is likely to want to follow,” he wrote. “Anthony and Paul are close friends who dreamed of playing together in the NBA and saw their alliance in Houston end prematurely.
“Both players were represented by Knicks president Leon Rose when he was basketball chief of Creative Artists Agency. A source said Rose is amenable to an Anthony return even without Paul.
“If Julius Randle is part of a Paul deal, the Knicks will need a starting small forward and power forward. Anthony plays either position.”
The duo of Paul and Anthony would be considered a real championship contender if they had joined forces five or six years ago. While both players are still household names, there is no doubt that their best basketball is behind them.
That’s especially true for Anthony, who made a surprise comeback with the Portland Trail Blazers last season after being out of the league for quite some time.
With that in mind, Paul was an All-Star last year. He averaged 17.6 points, 6.2 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game.
As for Anthony, he averaged 15.4 points and 6.3 boards per game last season.
While the two wouldn’t necessarily create a superteam in New York, them joining forces next season would at least bring back some excitement to a Knicks team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2013.
