Can Knicks sign and trade Melo?

[gpap]

Just a hypothetical to follow up from that post yesterday about how Broussard said the Rockets and Knicks might might essentially swap Melo for Harden.

I thought because the Knicks were over the cap, they couldn't take back salary in a S/T.

Does anyone know?

I also ask in the event maybe the Celts and Knicks can engage in a Melo S/T.

Thanks.

[Fafnir]

Its not the cap that inhibits sign and trades. Its being over the salary apron of the luxury tax + 4 million. (not 100% sure how big the apron is)

The salary room that the Knicks cleared in the Chandler deal will make it much easier to execute a sign and trade with Melo involved.

[LooseCannon]

You can't receive a player who was signed and traded if it would put you over the apron.  You can send out a player who was signed and traded.  If you couldn't, the Nets wouldn't have been able to S&T Bogans to the Celtics in the Pierce/Garnett deal.

So the Knicks can sign and trade Carmelo Anthony, but can't receive a player who is S&T'ed if that is needed to balance salaries.

[gpap]

You can't receive a player who was signed and traded if it would put you over the apron.  You can send out a player who was signed and traded.  If you couldn't, the Nets wouldn't have been able to S&T Bogans to the Celtics in the Pierce/Garnett deal.

So the Knicks can sign and trade Carmelo Anthony, but can't receive a player who is S&T'ed if that is needed to balance salaries.

Ok, but if the player going to the Knicks in a Melo S/T is alredy under contract, then the trade can be completed?

So in other words, because Harden is already under contract with Houston, he can be sent to New York while Melo is signed and traded to Houston?

[LooseCannon]

Yes

[Moranis]

The rule was set in place to try and keep players with their teams and not have them keep going to the big salary clubs (which tend to be the teams players actually want to play for).  So as loose says, the Knicks can sign and trade Anthony they just can't receive a player that was sign and then traded (in that trade or any other trade).