though Anthony has played the best basketball of his career in New York, the paradigm has shifted. His time with the Knicks has demonstrated what should have been apparent all along, namely that an ultra-high-usage scoring star with questionable efficiency is not the kind of player who turns mediocrity into excellence.
Nevertheless, if the Knicks shop Anthony, they will be looking for the kind of assets they sent away to Denver in the Melo trade. But for a team to send that kind of haul New York's way, it would have to view Anthony as the Knicks did three years ago -- as a franchise savior. It's unlikely there are many, or any, general managers across the NBA who view Anthony in that light any more.
The hypothetical team that now takes an interest in Anthony will view him as a final piece (think Pippen, not Jordan). The offers the Knicks could expect will be predicated on this fundamental: No contending team will want to send out so many assets for Anthony that it crumbles the foundation already in place. The Knicks may find a lot of dead ends if they go searching for a trade partner.
This is of course complicated by the fact that Anthony can opt out of his contract after the season, so any team dealing for him would want assurances that he'd be more than a two-month rental. In fact, after establishing the various criteria that seems essential for any potential Anthony trade, I was left with the conclusion that there is really only one logical trade destination for Melo: the
Chicago Bulls.