With the Cleveland Cavaliers trailing in the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors, it has shifted the conversation over to possible moves in the offseason to help improve the team.
According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, various NBA experts don’t view a move to acquire New York Knicks star forward Carmelo Anthony as something that would help the Cavaliers.
No, NBA insiders believe Anthony would not have been an important addition against the sleek, fleet machine of the Warriors, who lead the NBA Finals 2-0 [now 3-0] after two straight blowouts in which they’ve rung up 113 and 132 points [and a close 11-0 run to end Game 3].
Although Cleveland would welcome more help on the offensive end of the floor, their biggest issues against the Warriors lie on the defensive end through the first three games. Golden State has scored more than 110 points in each contest while tallying 132 points on 51.7 percent shooting from the field in Game 2.
On top of that, if the Cavaliers were to consider a trade for Anthony it would mean the inclusion of Kevin Love, who has been playing quite well in the playoffs. In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, he posted a double-double with 16 points and 21 rebounds and followed it up with a 27-point performance in Game 2.
That said, the Cavaliers were one of the destinations that Anthony has indicated he would waive his no-trade clause for. He still possesses two more years left on his five-year, $124 million deal that includes a player option worth $27.9 million for the 2018-19 season.
Ultimately, any talk of Anthony to Cleveland will likely hinge on how the rest of the NBA Finals plays out.
