Great article on CelticsBlog about a blockbuster Rondo-Anthony-Love-Asik trade.

[timpiker]

I think Rondo's behind all of this.  I read the NYPost and during the season they had stories about Melo trying to get his good friend Rondo to the Knicks.  Fast forward, Rondo meets Love at a baseball game and rumors fly about Melo  coming to the C's.  I usually don't believe in coincidences,  especially when good rumors come out of them.

[Kane3387]

Thanx to KGsKnee for that TPE correction. With regard to the Knicks taking Wallace along with 3 first rounders, I guess that is very tempting and something they would very likely do if Anthony says that he is leaving and unlike the Wolves who have Love under contract, the Knicks have almost no leverage.

If the Knicks won't then see if a team like Philly will in a three way deal.

[crimson_stallion]

I just think the trade idea is a bit...unrealistic to be honest.

First of all there are WAY too many assets being given up in that trade.  Love is good no doubt, but a young KG he isn't - not even close.  He's not worth giving up Green (our best scorer and wing good defender), Sully (a nice starting PF), Bogans (valuable disposable contract) and four (four?!?!?!) first rounders.  There is no way in hell Love is worth that much. 

Secondly, there is no way in hell the Knicks are trading Carmello for that horrible a return. They'd probably rather let him walk away for nothing and clear $20m+ in cap space before they would suffer the humiliation of giving him up for...that. 

It just makes no sense....this deal is massively overpaying for Love, and massively underpaying for Melo.  Melo has been playing at a superstar level for the last 8 or so years, has a proven history as one of the leagues greatest clutch scorers, and has had countless years of playoff experience.  Love has had two all-star calibre years combined with 6 years as a borderline all star, has had zero playoff appearances, and has never proven himself as a clutch scorer.  Melo is more valuable than Love, and at the VERY least equally valuable.  To have the two trades so lopsided is just insane.

[CapnDunks]

Maybe Melo opts in. Knicks keep fans relatively placated plus line up all their expirings for 2015. Melo gets to go on the 2015 free agent market when potential contenders will have cleared space and gets another year of max money in the meantime.

[pokeKingCurtis]

I just think the trade idea is a bit...unrealistic to be honest.

First of all there are WAY too many assets being given up in that trade.  Love is good no doubt, but a young KG he isn't - not even close.  He's not worth giving up Green (our best scorer and wing good defender), Sully (a nice starting PF), Bogans (valuable disposable contract) and four (four?!?!?!) first rounders.  There is no way in hell Love is worth that much. 

Secondly, there is no way in hell the Knicks are trading Carmello for that horrible a return. They'd probably rather let him walk away for nothing and clear $20m+ in cap space before they would suffer the humiliation of giving him up for...that. 

It just makes no sense....this deal is massively overpaying for Love, and massively underpaying for Melo.  Melo has been playing at a superstar level for the last 8 or so years, has a proven history as one of the leagues greatest clutch scorers, and has had countless years of playoff experience.  Love has had two all-star calibre years combined with 6 years as a borderline all star, has had zero playoff appearances, and has never proven himself as a clutch scorer.  Melo is more valuable than Love, and at the VERY least equally valuable.  To have the two trades so lopsided is just insane.

Love is younger than Garnett, though.

I hate to say it but 4 firsts is possibly the market price. But Love basically having quit on the Wolves gives some very solid hope of the price being less than 4 firsts.

[HeadDoctorJ]

Bottom line: If Melo decides he's going to Boston, he can sign as a FA and NYK gets NOTHING. So, NYK would have NO LEVERAGE in this case. Here's their choice: let Melo walk, and get NOTHING; or, agree to participate in a S&T with Boston to take back some underwhelming assets and expiring contracts. Then, they at least get something.

MIN, on the other hand, has all the leverage in the world. 16 teams (at least) are interested in Love. Love has virtually no control. Not even his threats of refusing to re-sign is deterring some teams (eg, CLE, SAC). MIN decides where and when to trade him, and they have plenty of offers to choose from. Demand is high.

That's why Melo's price could be so low, and Love's price could be so high. It's all about leverage.