Coming at the heels of Carmelo Anthony‘s ultimatum to the New York Knicks organization, asking to be traded for good, the Portland Trail Blazers have swooped in as a potential second team that could ensnare his services.
Despite Anthony denying any interest in the Blazers prior to his request to be moved, the Rip City backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum are feeling considerably optimistic of their pitch for the former scoring champion.
“I think he's interested,” McCollum told Joe Freeman of The Oregonian.
McCollum's optimism was followed by his running mate Lillard, who said Melo's arrival in Portland could be a “real possibility,” according to Jay Allen of Rip City Radio.
Anthony seems to want two things — playing with his friends and being able to compete for a championship before calling it a career. The Rockets and the Cleveland Cavaliers check both of those boxes with championship-equipped rosters and two pals in the recently-acquired Chris Paul and LeBron James.
The Cavs are systematically out of the running due to their poor cap flexibility and lack of a front office presence to make the deal happen.
The Blazers possess neither of those conditions as of yet, making them an outsider looking in, though the personal pitches by both guards could potentially sway Melo if the frustration starts to brew on both sides.
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