Carmelo Anthony‘s move from the Denver Nuggets to the New York Knicks is remembered as one of the most significant NBA trades of the 21st century. However, Anthony disclosed in an interview on “The Why with Dwyane Wade” that things could have unfolded differently before the 2011 trade.
Anthony revealed that a trade agreement was initially made to send him to the Los Angeles Lakers. Anthony and Nenê would be exchanged for Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum in the proposed trade.
“The deal was done with the Lakers,” Anthony said. “Me and Nene for Lamar Odom and (Andrew) Bynum. That deal was done. I never thought about New York.”.
He speculated that the deal with the Lakers fell through because the Nuggets were hesitant about facing him in the postseason.
“Now it’s like, y’all don’t want me in the West,” Anthony said. “Gonna send me to the East, get me to New York.”
Interestingly, Anthony pointed out that the New York Knicks were not the Nuggets’ first choice for his trade destination in the East. “
“The deal never was with New York, the deal was with New Jersey Nets,” Anthony said. “When it was All-Star Weekend, the deal was with the Nets.”
Ultimately, Anthony was traded to the Knicks in a package that included Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, and draft picks. This trade marked the beginning of Anthony’s memorable tenure in New York.
Anthony’s stint with the Knicks lasted over six seasons, during which he led the team to several playoff runs but could not propel them to the NBA Finals. Nonetheless, he delivered some unforgettable performances for the Knicks, notably scoring a career-high 62 points in a game in 2014.
After leaving the Knicks, Anthony played for the Oklahoma City Thunder and later took on a different role in the latter part of his career, which concluded with the Lakers in the 2021-22 season.
The revelation of Anthony’s near-trade to the Lakers has left fans to ponder the potential impact of such a pairing, especially considering the possibility of him joining forces with Kobe Bryant during his prime years.
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