Over the last several days, it has become clear that All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony's time with the Oklahoma City Thunder is set to end after one season this summer. This initially created chatter that the team would buy him out in order to save $100 million in salary cap and luxury tax toward the 2018-19 campaign.
However, the front office has decided to head in the direction of possibly moving him via the trade market in order to acquire additional assets. According to Mitch Lawrence of SiriusXM NBA Radio, the Thunder are possibly looking into a trade scenario with the Brooklyn Nets that could see Jeremy Lin and sent over in exchange for Melo and a pick or picks.
Oklahoma City looking to get something for Carmelo Anthony and talking to Brooklyn about a deal, with Jeremy Lin potentially going to OKC, per sources. Nets looking to get pick(s). Want to move Lin and would buy out Melo.
— Mitch Lawrence (@Mitch_Lawrence) July 11, 2018
It shouldn't come as a surprise that the Nets have interest in making a deal ,as the team is looking to secure more salary cap space for the summer of 2019 where there will be several top-tier free agents available. Brooklyn started out on this route once this offseason with the decision to trade for former All-Star big man Dwight Howard and then buy him out to secure more salary cap space.
Lin is in the final year of his three-year, $38.3 million deal that will pay him $12.5 million for next season. He is an attractive asset given that it frees up more salary cap space next offseason, and he could be bought out at a much cheaper rate than Anthony's $27.9 million for the 2018-19 campaign. On top of that, there is the potential add more draft picks to the mix to help either bring in more young talent or bundle them for a trade down the road.
Nonetheless, it appears that the Thunder are exploring the various options that they have in front of them before coming to a final decision.
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