Which Carmelo Anthony trades would make sense? Can a team like the Los Angeles Lakers, the Chicago Bulls or the Cleveland Cavaliers acquire Anthony?
Should the New York Knicks flip Anthony for young players and draft picks to build around Kristaps Porzingis?
Our experts debate what's next for Melo, the Knicks and potential trade partners.
1. What should the Knicks' goal be this season?
Amin Elhassan, ESPN Insider: To win as many games as possible! I know it sounds obvious, but given that the Knicks' first-round pick is headed to Denver or Toronto (the Nuggets are owed an option to swap picks from the Carmelo Anthony trade, then the less favorable pick goes to Toronto from the Andrea Bargnani trade), it is in their best interest to maximize wins this season, without forfeiting future assets or flexibility.
Chad Ford, ESPN Insider: Continue to develop Porzingis, who is the future of the Knicks, the most valuable asset they've had in ages. You can make an argument that they should just stay the course for this season. They aren't likely to make the playoffs. They don't have their first-round pick. So keep going with what's working.
Kevin Pelton, ESPN Insider: To play well enough to convince free agents they can win in New York. Because the Knicks don't have their draft pick, there's no downside to winning as many games as possible, and long shot or no, staying in the playoff hunt could strengthen their pitch to the likes of Kevin Durant.
David Thorpe, ESPN Insider: Build their young core, while trying to discern who is a keeper (Porzingis) and who may not be good enough (every other young guy is a question mark). Let them make mistakes, track their daily efforts, focus on finding areas in which they can develop high-level NBA game production. Oh, and constantly search out opportunities to add draft picks or younger players they believe are undervalued and could be better wearing a Knicks jersey.
Jeremias Engelmann, ESPN.com: Seeing as the Knicks owe their 2016 draft pick to either Denver or Toronto, tanking would make no sense. They should instead try to make the playoffs. With No. 7 seed Miami and No. 8 Indiana tumbling lately (each 3-7 in their past 10 games), the Knicks have a chance.
Bradford Doolittle, ESPN Insider: The Knicks are trying to maximize their position for the free-agent market. That calculus has changed since last fall. Before, it seemed like a playoff push this season was imperative in advance of free agency to strengthen the case that it's a good idea to come to New York to play with Melo. Now, Porzingis is an even better selling point. That puts moving Melo on the option board.
2. Do you expect the Knicks to be a playoff team in 2016-17?
Elhassan: Probably not. If they keep Anthony, it would take quite the offseason to augment the current roster enough to keep up with the other rising teams in the East competing for the last few playoff seeds. If they trade him, the package probably would include young players who may be long on potential but short on win-now experience.
But making the playoffs shouldn't be the be-all, end-all anyway. Stay the course and build it up the right way.
Ford: It's possible, though not likely. And if so, they'll be just a lower seed in the East. For their fans, that would be a welcome relief, but it shouldn't be the Knicks' goal. Rather, their goal should be finding players who complement Porzingis.
Pelton: Yeah, I think their chances are slightly better than 50-50. They should be able to spend their money more efficiently than they did this season, and Porzingis' development should offset any decline from Anthony.
Thorpe: "Expect" is a strong word. I'm open to the possibility, but there's too much uncertainty surrounding the team to see its future just yet.
The East is beginning to look like the old West from the past 10 years in which there could be a 45-win team that does not make the playoffs next season. All eight teams currently seeded for the postseason look like they can be just as strong next season, or in some cases, stronger (imagine if Mike Conley decides to go home to Indianapolis). The huge money that can be thrown around further clouds my crystal ball.
Engelmann: There is a decent amount of change in the playoff landscape from season to season, so it's certainly possible. I can see Chicago and Miami taking a step back next season, as some of their key players are getting older. If New York makes smart offseason signings in the mold of Dallas signing Zaza Pachulia last offseason, they have a very good shot.
Doolittle: My feeling is a qualified yes. If they stand pat or strike out in the offseason, they still have Anthony and a second-year version of Porzingis, plus an offseason of filling in gaps. If they deal Anthony, then the playoff push might be delayed. Of course, maybe they sign Durant and we start picking them to challenge Cleveland.
3. Does the arrival of Porzingis makes Anthony more important or expendable?
Elhassan: Important now, expendable later. Porzingis acts as a good complement to Anthony on the court, both offensively and defensively, making Melo's job much easier. Amazingly, he's probably had an even bigger impact off the court -- with all the attention drawn to Porzingis, the intense New York spotlight isn't trained on Anthony. By giving Melo more comfort and allowing him to play under less pressure, Porzingis is ultimately raising the trade value of Anthony.
Ford: A bit of both. Anthony has proved to be a valuable mentor to Porzingis, taking pressure off of the rookie. But the Knicks need to focus on Porzingis' development, not a quick fix to get Anthony into the playoffs. So while Melo has been important this season, his future value to the Knicks will probably come in a trade.
Pelton: Expendable, given that Porzingis is 11 years younger and their primes will never overlap. The only exception to that is if Porzingis' arrival helps the Knicks add another complementary star in free agency, in which case Anthony is more indispensable.
Thorpe: Important. And expendable. It depends on what the Knicks' executives are capable of putting together. Some higher-level free agents may feel playing alongside both men is a ticket to the NBA final four. Or management may feel like getting those guys requires trading Carmelo, provided the players they are getting in return are at the peak of their career or near it.
Engelmann: Expendable. If the Knicks end up trading Carmelo they, thanks to Porzingis, still have someone the fans can get excited about, and who can fill that superstar role. With Carmelo being 31 years old and his production diminishing, the Knicks should shift to making Porzingis the centerpiece of their franchise soon.
Doolittle: More expendable. Of course, the emergence of Porzingis doesn't mean you have to move Anthony.
The impatient approach is to add now to make a push with both players, despite their age difference. But it's not unheard of for teams to win with cornerstone players of almost different generations. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was on two such teams -- as a young player alongside Oscar Robertson, then as the old man on the Lakers when Magic Johnson came to the NBA.
4. Should the Knicks try to trade Melo? If so, when?
Note: Anthony has a no-trade clause and would have to approve any trade.
Elhassan: Yes, but not until after the season is over. As noted above, the Knicks should maximize their 2015-16 wins without compromising future wins, assets or flexibility, and it's hard to imagine a Melo trade for New York that would help them achieve that goal.
Once the season is over for New York, the Knicks should aggressively pursue Melo deals leading up to draft day. His value will never be higher, and the Knicks can then push for a full rebuild while they own all their future first-round picks, plus whatever they can fetch for Melo.
Ford: Yes, if they can get valuable draft picks or young building blocks in return. Melo's value is pretty high right now. If the Knicks can make a trade at the deadline or this summer that gives them much-needed assets, and Anthony will OK the deal, I think they have to pull the trigger.
Pelton: They should always be open to any trade that will make them a better team, but I don't think they should actively explore the trade market until this summer after taking a run at free agency. If New York can't land anyone notable, then it's time to consider retrenching with a younger core around Porzingis.
Thorpe: Maybe, but there is no need to move him right away. Melo's value might not decline much in the near future. The key is to just be open to the idea. Unlike Vlade Divac in Sacramento, they should answer the phone when it rings, and swing for the fences with some calls of their own. Maybe Houston is willing to part with draft picks and young players.
Engelmann: From a basketball standpoint, yes. Anthony makes too much money in relation to his good-but-not-great impact that will further diminish as he gets older. Given that his perceived value is probably still very high for many teams in the league, getting a good return for Anthony should be a feasible task.
Doolittle: He's 31, he's 13 years into his career and his knee issues are a concern. If you don't think that Anthony will be an All-Star-caliber player by the time Porzingis makes a leap, then the sooner you move him, the better. Despite Anthony's huge, escalating salary, he's more valuable now than he will be a year from now and that disintegration will only continue.
5. What is a Melo trade that would make sense, now or later?
Elhassan: The "fake trade" is an exercise I'm not fond of, and it's an exercise made more difficult by Anthony's no-trade clause. To find a destination he'll approve of and that isn't bereft of future assets (sorry, Miami) is a tough task.
But I have to wonder whether either of the Los Angeles teams would appeal to him, with obviously the Lakers having more to offer in terms of young talent. Or perhaps the Phoenix Suns, who have a nice combination of players and picks to offer. In reality, the Melo deal that goes down will almost certainly be a multi-team trade.
Ford: I've previously made the case for Miami as a destination. If the Knicks could get Justise Winslow from the Heat, I think they'd have to consider it strongly. A Kings deal that landed them Willie Cauley-Stein, draft picks and maybe Ben McLemore would be interesting, though I don't think Melo would waive his no-trade clause to go to Sacramento.
The Celtics would be an interesting possibility if they'd toss in the Nets' draft pick. I'm very skeptical Boston would, not wanting to make the same mistake that Brooklyn did.
Pelton: I'd love a swap with Miami centered around Winslow. A small frontcourt of Winslow and Porzingis would give the Knicks a quickness advantage on virtually any opponent and Porzingis' shooting ability would help compensate for Winslow's biggest weakness.
Thorpe: I'd love to see Melo move to Chicago for Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah (who is out for the remainder of the season). Both guys seem unlikely to return to Chicago once they are free agents (Gibson may get traded anyway this winter), so getting an offensive stud like Carmelo would ease Chicago's defensive pain upon losing those guys and give them incredible scoring talent on the perimeter along with Jimmy Butler (and Derrick Rose is getting better every week on that end of the court).
Noah, if healthy, is the perfect big man for the triangle, and would give the Knicks an identity to define their style of play and their fight to win. Gibson can be a valuable trade piece moving forward or a keeper, depending on how quickly the Knicks can attract and develop more talent.
Engelmann: The Knicks should monitor Durant and LeBron James' situations very closely. An early playoff exit might be enough motivation for those players to seek their luck elsewhere. Dealing Anthony for Blake Griffin, who currently isn't making many friends in Clipperland, could be a viable option as well.
Doolittle: New York's evaluation of Porzingis plays into this. Do the Knicks, like many of us, see Porzingis' long-term position as center? If so, then two younger players in Anthony's income bracket make sense: Kevin Love and Griffin. Both of those players are on teams in win-now mode and there are questions about the fit of both players in their current situations.