Carmelo Anthony Continues To Prioritize Trade To Rockets

[RealGM Wiretap]

Carmelo Anthony continues to place the Houston Rockets as his top priority trade destination despite Kyrie Irving's request for a trade.

The Cleveland Cavaliers presumably have a clearer path to trading for Anthony due to the Irving request, but Anthony prefers the Rockets.

Some in the Knicks organization would trade Anthony and multiple first-round picks for Irving.

With the Rockets trading for Chris Paul and James Harden already signing an extension, their situation is more stable and attractive for Anthony than the Cavaliers.

Via Ian Begley/ESPN

[br7knicks]

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you.




go

[BklyntoTNeck]

And the Knicks should prioritize a beneficial deal. Round and round we go!!!

[MegaK]

If Kyrie trade is on the table from Cleveland, the Knicks would be stupid (as usual) to not do that deal. I don't think the Knicks could do any better for Carmelo and Kyrie is only 25 years old and has been to 3 finals already.

[MaxRider]

wake up me when training camp start

[tosi]

If Kyrie trade is on the table from Cleveland, the Knicks would be stupid (as usual) to not do that deal. I don't think the Knicks could do any better for Carmelo and Kyrie is only 25 years old and has been to 3 finals already.

Carmelo does have a no trade clause so if he doesnt want to go to the Cavs, it won't happen.

[jlokine]

If Kyrie trade is on the table from Cleveland, the Knicks would be stupid (as usual) to not do that deal. I don't think the Knicks could do any better for Carmelo and Kyrie is only 25 years old and has been to 3 finals already.

but he didnt lead his team to those 3 finals.. you could argue he matured in the last 3 years but the last time he led the cavs, they drafted andrew wiggins after.. sooooo i still wouldnt put much stock in kyrie as a capable number 1 option on a winning team.

[DaGawd]

If Kyrie trade is on the table from Cleveland, the Knicks would be stupid (as usual) to not do that deal. I don't think the Knicks could do any better for Carmelo and Kyrie is only 25 years old and has been to 3 finals already.

Melo's in charge... He's the one with the NTC.. and it seems he has no interest in going to Cleveland

[Blockwatcher]

Stay the course Melo. Houston ONLY! Or OKC...

[inquisitive]

Anyone wanna say "handcuffed" Knicks

[Hoopzilla]

Houston is prioritised over the others at this point because there is no state tax in Texas. Money is the only thing that drives this guy, do not forget that. He is not looking for the best opportunity to win.

[Bobalob]

If Kyrie trade is on the table from Cleveland, the Knicks would be stupid (as usual) to not do that deal. I don't think the Knicks could do any better for Carmelo and Kyrie is only 25 years old and has been to 3 finals already.

but he didnt lead his team to those 3 finals.. you could argue he matured in the last 3 years but the last time he led the cavs, they drafted andrew wiggins after.. sooooo i still wouldnt put much stock in kyrie as a capable number 1 option on a winning team.

I would. You have to keepo in mind not only was Kyrie young pre-Bron btu so was that team. Peole are kinda going off the hinges by analyzing that 3 year snapshot. It ws a roster that was pisspoor WITH Lebron then took away Lebron. What'd you expect!?

Now would i buy him in a Westbrook type situation where he has no all star level help? No.

But if you put him on, say, Denver, where he would be the #1 with all star help AND depth that boy gon cook

[Hoopzilla]

If Kyrie trade is on the table from Cleveland, the Knicks would be stupid (as usual) to not do that deal. I don't think the Knicks could do any better for Carmelo and Kyrie is only 25 years old and has been to 3 finals already.

but he didnt lead his team to those 3 finals.. you could argue he matured in the last 3 years but the last time he led the cavs, they drafted andrew wiggins after.. sooooo i still wouldnt put much stock in kyrie as a capable number 1 option on a winning team.

Lebron created the years of losing for Cleveland when he left in 2010. Kyrie was drafted to that team that was left in turmoil. He became an all star and won a 3 point contest and was viewed as the best one on one player in the game, at the age of 22... before he ever stepped on a court with Lebron. Kyrie had a young Waiters and TT to play with, and nothing else. Wiggins was drafted there, but never stepped on the court. Now, if Kyrie played with Waiters, Wiggins and TT and they were duds, you would have a point. Wiggins was the biggest asset and he never had a chance to play with him. One season with Wiggins would have given a decent glimmer for the future to say the least.

When the Cavs were ready to be a young team on the rise, Lebron came running back and tore it all apart. You can say Kyrie was a loser before Lebron, but they never would have drafted Kyrie if Lebron didn't put them in that hole to begin with. You don't blame Kyrie for being drafted into a situation where he had absolutely no talent to play with. If he had a chance to play with the team he was there and put in the time to build, we have no clue what he could have done, because Lebron never let him.

Allen Iverson and Kyrie have similar skill sets. They both score the crap out of the ball and can't play defense to save their lives. Iverson made it to the FInals with a very poor supporting cast, so to say he can't be a number one option on a winning team is just plain wrong and ignorant. There is a very relevant precedent that proves he can lead a team if the right supporting cast is given to him and he is given the chance.

[luss54321]

Houston is prioritised over the others at this point because there is no state tax in Texas. Money is the only thing that drives this guy, do not forget that. He is not looking for the best opportunity to win.

You bring up the state tax in Texas on every other article. It's not that big of a deal. Wealthy people have so many ways to avoid paying taxes that it's almost comical. Also, they do have state taxes, just no income tax. Property tax and sales tax are very high in Texas. Basically the tax burden is on the middle/lower class, rather than the upper class. In Texas there is no income tax, but in other states, wealthy people essentially don't pay income tax, their accountants just need to be more creative about it.

[Hoopzilla]

Houston is prioritised over the others at this point because there is no state tax in Texas. Money is the only thing that drives this guy, do not forget that. He is not looking for the best opportunity to win.

You bring up the state tax in Texas on every other article. It's not that big of a deal. Wealthy people have so many ways to avoid paying taxes that it's almost comical. Also, they do have state taxes, just no income tax. Property tax and sales tax are very high in Texas. Basically the tax burden is on the middle/lower class, rather than the upper class. In Texas there is no income tax, but in other states, wealthy people essentially don't pay income tax, their accountants just need to be more creative about it.

You are correct there is no income tax, but there is state tax, my bad. The benefit comes when he will not have to pay income tax on the 41 home games he will play in. That alone will equal millions of dollars in tax he would not have to pay. If you can't see the value in being given millions of dollars right off the top then that is your problem. It is a big deal. Melo can still have a creative accountant in Texas and figure out how to pay even less, while enjoying the extra millions as well. It is a huge selling point when it comes to recruiting players. It made it a lot more palpable for Duncan and the other Spurs to take less money on his contracts when they still probably took home the same amount as other players in that tier of players, while also being able to bring in another player with that saved money the team can get. Players and teams benefit greatly from not having income tax where most other teams do. There is tremendous value in that.

[dice]

Houston is prioritised over the others at this point because there is no state tax in Texas. Money is the only thing that drives this guy, do not forget that. He is not looking for the best opportunity to win.

You bring up the state tax in Texas on every other article. It's not that big of a deal. Wealthy people have so many ways to avoid paying taxes that it's almost comical. Also, they do have state taxes, just no income tax. Property tax and sales tax are very high in Texas. Basically the tax burden is on the middle/lower class, rather than the upper class. In Texas there is no income tax, but in other states, wealthy people essentially don't pay income tax, their accountants just need to be more creative about it.

You are correct there is no income tax, but there is state tax, my bad. The benefit comes when he will not have to pay income tax on the 41 home games he will play in. That alone will equal millions of dollars in tax he would not have to pay.

total tax burden:

NY (knicks) 13.1%
CO (nuggets) 9.2%

ohio (cavs) 11.1%
texas (rockets) 9.5%

playing in Houston rather than Cleveland that's a difference of $16K per million of income, $8K because melo only plays half his games in-state. that's a grand total of $800K on a $100 mil contract. peanuts. and clearly melo doesn't care much about state taxes because he was eager to be traded from a team in one of the lowest tax burden states (CO) to a team in THE highest tax burden state (NY)

http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/total_taxes/

Melo can still have a creative accountant in Texas and figure out how to pay even less

and they don't have creative accountants outside texas?

[Ddent12]

I wonder if things will get so bad in the NBA that players will start waiving their multi year contracts to be on the same team as other superstars ..... IF Kyrie really wanted to leave to a team like the wolves he could negotiate a buyout ..... But of course not these players and agents today are about the $.

[fuller4379]

You bring up the state tax in Texas on every other article. It's not that big of a deal. Wealthy people have so many ways to avoid paying taxes that it's almost comical. Also, they do have state taxes, just no income tax. Property tax and sales tax are very high in Texas. Basically the tax burden is on the middle/lower class, rather than the upper class. In Texas there is no income tax, but in other states, wealthy people essentially don't pay income tax, their accountants just need to be more creative about it.

You are correct there is no income tax, but there is state tax, my bad. The benefit comes when he will not have to pay income tax on the 41 home games he will play in. That alone will equal millions of dollars in tax he would not have to pay.

total tax burden:

NY (knicks) 13.1%
CO (nuggets) 9.2%

ohio (cavs) 11.1%
texas (rockets) 9.5%

playing in Houston rather than Cleveland that's a difference of $16K per million of income, $8K because melo only plays half his games in-state. that's a grand total of $800K on a $100 mil contract. peanuts. and clearly melo doesn't care much about state taxes because he was eager to be traded from a team in one of the lowest tax burden states (CO) to a team in THE highest tax burden state (NY)

http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/total_taxes/

Melo can still have a creative accountant in Texas and figure out how to pay even less

and they don't have creative accountants outside texas?

1) I don't think he is going to be spending 50% of his income on product that are taxable for sales tax in Texas. Rich people don't pay near as large a percentage in sales tax that an average individual does.

2) His state income tax rate in NY is 8.82%. In TX it is 0%. The city rate in New York is 3.88%. That means he is paying 12.7% in state income taxes to play in NYC vs 0% for the 41 games in Houston.

I can continue, but why bother?

[TimRobbins]

If Kyrie trade is on the table from Cleveland, the Knicks would be stupid (as usual) to not do that deal. I don't think the Knicks could do any better for Carmelo and Kyrie is only 25 years old and has been to 3 finals already.

Carmelo does have a no trade clause so if he doesnt want to go to the Cavs, it won't happen.

Knicks also have a "no trade" clause and since the Rockets are offering nothing other than bad contracts, I can't see any reason for the Knicks to do the trade at all. The only trade that makes sense from the Knicks' persepctive is with the Cavs.

[TimRobbins]

If Kyrie trade is on the table from Cleveland, the Knicks would be stupid (as usual) to not do that deal. I don't think the Knicks could do any better for Carmelo and Kyrie is only 25 years old and has been to 3 finals already.

Melo's in charge... He's the one with the NTC.. and it seems he has no interest in going to Cleveland

Not really. Knicks can keep him for another season. If he refuses the Cavs deal they can send him to the stands for the season. Melo can't force a trade to the Rockets if the Rockets have nothing to give the Knicks in return.