The one trade you wished would go down on deadline day?
Saenz: Carmelo Anthony to the Cleveland Cavaliers. I would love to see LeBron James and Melo on the same team. Plus, I just think Melo would be better suitor for the Cavs going forward than Kevin Love is/would.
Gonzalez: Goran Dragic to the Knicks. I think he could really be the guy that rights the ship for the Knicks. He hasn’t been able to really be himself in Miami and I think the Knicks are in the perfect place to really utilize his skill set.
Coldiron: Rudy Gay for Ryan Anderson makes so much sense it’s ridiculous. It’s been rumored for almost two years now. This trade helps both teams and needs to happen.
Murray: Would love to see Tyson Chandler get traded to the Cavs. I understand his situation in Cleveland, but think his talent and years left in the league are being wasted on an organization losing their head. Cleveland is the perfect fit because he’s tough, a shot-blocker and his a great awareness.
Lederman: I really want to see the Knicks trade Carmelo Anthony. I know he has his no-trade clause, and that he loves New York, but I can promise you, his value will never be higher than it is right now. I could envision him being the missing piece on at least 5 different teams, and I know that there are organizations out there who would give up some assets for him. Trading Carmelo would give the Knicks the 2016 first-round pick they desperately need, and some assets to work with.
The move would free up cap space for a possible Kevin Durant signing (yeah right), and would give New York the flexibility and assets to build a young core around Kristaps Porzingis. This move won’t happen because a) I doubt Carmelo will waive his no-trade clause, and b) the Knicks will be too afraid to even try.
Hughes: I’ve spent hours this season praying to every basketball god I could think of (Jordan, Chamberlain, Russell, Naismith, Scalabrine, etc.), just hoping someone would take pity on my Nets for their poor decision making in recent years. I just hope that one of the hoops deities will smile upon Brooklyn in the next few days and grace us with a move that if nothing else will provide us with a draft pick in the coming years. Maybe it’ll be Joe Johnson, Thaddeus Young, or even Brook Lopez. However it’s brought about, we get to walk away from the deadline with some end to this nightmare in sight.
Piers: Hardly anyone is talking about the most interesting trade piece on any team, the Celtics unprotected first round pick from the Brooklyn Nets. If Boston wants to win now, like this year, I think they have a trade partner in the Bulls. The proposal; the Celtics pick for Pau Gasol, Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotic.
The All-Star Gasol makes the Celtics one the top two or three teams in the East while Portis and Mirotic are two, solid potential top-tier post players to match with that young backcourt. On the flipside, the Bulls have about a 15% chance of winning the Ben Simmons lottery and not falling into NBA purgatory. It’s roll of the dice they should take.
Armstrong: Marcus Smart for Ben McLemore.
Baranko: I want the Knicks to swing Carmelo Anthony for Blake Griffin. New York would have its frontcourt of the future and the Clips would have much better offensive spacing.
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