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Should the Celtics trade for Carmelo Anthony?

By Larry Flynn

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Since he traded away two hall-of-famers in 2013, Danny Ainge has been searching for a new superstar to highlight in Boston. He tried his hand at Kevin Love, and failed. He will keep his eyes open for a DeMarcus Cousins trade, but Ainge has thus far been unsuccessful.

We know that Ainge is opportunistic, and he will continue to peruse the market for available superstars heading into their primes. Maybe the Celtics can get a shot at Russell Westbrook, or maybe Andre Drummond if things don’t work out as planned in Oklahoma City or Detroit.

Alright, everyone. Hold on to your seats.

What if the next available superstar is Carmelo Anthony? With the New York Knicks drafting a project in Kristaps Porzingis and striking out in free agency this year, New York might decide it is best to part ways with their “poster child” over the past few seasons.

For a moment, toss aside all of your conceptions about Carmelo Anthony. Forget his identity as a “loser,” and remember the rosters of the teams he’s played on. Forget about the disgusting exhibit of basketball that called themselves the Knicks last season. Instead, check out some stats:

Based on these traditional stats, who looks better, Player A or Player B? They’re similar, right?

Player A is 31-year-old Carmelo Anthony, last season for the Knicks.

Player B is 31-year-old Ray Allen, in his last season for the Sonics.

And then where did Allen go?

Like him or not for his ultimate decision to leave Boston for the rival Heat, Ray Allen was incredibly productive in his 5-year stint with the Celtics. When Allen was first acquired by Boston, he was coming off ankle surgeries (much like Melo and his recent knee issues). This made many Celtics question Ainge’s move to bring in an injury-prone veteran alongside such a young team.

Dec 5, 2014; Charlotte, NC, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) shoots the ball during the first half against the Charlotte Hornets at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Of course, we didn’t see Ainge’s long-term plan at that point.

Now Ainge could find himself another aging, but productive All-Star to help catapult his team into the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. Enter Melo, who provides the go-to scoring the Celtics need.

Of course, Melo is not without flaws. He has been touted as a reluctant passer, something which doesn’t seem as though it would fit in Brad Stevens’ offense. Making a trade for Melo is a bit of a risk in this regard, and who knows if he wants to be on a younger team in Boston. But this is for sure: the Celtics are much better than the Knicks, and Melo would still be “the man” of his team.

Another concern with Melo is his contract, which will pay him in the range of $23-28 million in each of the next four seasons. With the new CBA, this deal doesn’t sound as bad as it at first appeared. The new max contracts could be as high as $30+ mil, which makes Melo not too much of an overpay.

Now here comes the question you’ve been waiting for: what do the Celtics have to trade for Melo?

Here’s an idea:

Celtics receive: Carmelo Anthony

Knicks receive: David Lee, Kelly Olynyk, Avery Bradley, 2016 and 2017 Celtics 1st round picks

The Celtics aren’t giving up much in this scenario, but is there any other team who would offer two solid, young players as well as two picks and cap relief (David Lee) for Melo? The Celtics could always throw in second-rounders and other small pieces like Perry Jones if the Knicks find this offer to be underwhelming. Of course, Ainge shouldn’t go all-in, trading future pieces like Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier, RJ Hunter, James Young, and possibly Jared Sullinger.

As for Boston, why wouldn’t they give it a try? Suddenly, the Celtics’ depth chart remains very deep, with future picks from Brooklyn and Dallas to continue finding the right young talent. Here’s an example of what the Celtics roster and assets (potentially for another blockbuster move) would look like:

The Celtics could also toy with a lineup of Thomas-Smart-Crowder-Anthony-Johnson, which would allow Melo to play the 4 and enjoyed his most success as part of the 54-win 2013-14 Knicks.

Admit it, Celtics fans. This team could win enough games to bring home-court to Boston for the first round of the playoffs.

We should expect the Celtics to continue to make minor moves to prepare themselves for the future. But, if Ainge is feeling bold, maybe he should give Phil Jackson a call in New York.

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