The Lob and the Jam: Should the Clippers trade for Carmelo Anthony?

Jan 17, 2014; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) guards Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin (32) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. The Los Angeles Clippers won 109-94. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 17, 2014; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) guards Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin (32) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. The Los Angeles Clippers won 109-94. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
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NBA: Los Angeles Clippers at New York Knicks
NBA: Los Angeles Clippers at New York Knicks

Andrew Miller (@AndrewMillerNBA)

I’m extremely hesitant when it comes to Carmelo Anthony. He’s coming up on 33 years old in May and it’ll be a huge adjustment for himself and the team as a whole. Melo has never been the 3rd or 4th option on a team before. He’s used to being “The guy” and having the ball whenever he wants. On top of that, he’s a pretty poor defender and although his shooting will help open up the floor for Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, $24 million is a lot of money to pay a guy to stand on the perimeter and wait for the ball to come.

His 2 years, roughly $54 million contract is huge, and I don’t want to be in the same difficult position as the Knicks this time next year of struggling to move him because of the no-trade clause. The biggest need for the last 4-5 years has been squad depth, and now that LA finally has that, is it worth throwing away to take a chance on an ageing star, especially with CP3 and Griffin likely to become free agents this summer? For me, it’s a no.