The Houston Rockets are expected to become one of the most aggressive suitors of Carmelo Anthony, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
According to reports, the Rockets will attempt to convince the New York Knicks to a sign-and-trade deal, especially if Anthony decides to bolt out of the Big Apple this offseason.
Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reported that the Rockets could offer Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik in a trade package for Anthony along with their first-round pick in the highly-anticipated draft plus any player outside of superstars Dwight Howard and James Harden.
"Houston would trade almost anything not named Dwight Howard and James Harden to get at Anthony and they would go all in on a contract too. There has been talk that Houston has offered up Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin in a "give away" trade that could include their draft pick in the first round or a roster player," Kyler wrote.
If the Knicks decline to cooperate with the Rockets in a possible sign-and-trade deal, the Rockets are expected to look for takers for Lin and Asik, who will both receive $14.9 million next season, with only around $8.3 million affecting the team's salary cap.
And if the Rockets found a way to move both Lin and Asik alongside several key players, Houston will have the ability to offer a maximum four-year deal to Anthony, who averaged 27.4 points to go along with 8.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game this season.
"If the Rockets can find a taker for those contracts they'd go from a best-case $56.9 million in salary commitments to $40.2 million, which means $22.7 million in cap space. That's more than enough for Houston to get into the game in a serious way for Anthony," Kyler wrote.
Aside from the Rockets, the Dallas Mavericks and the Knicks are also expected to make a strong push for Anthony by offering maximum deals.
The Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers are also in the running, but Kyler expressed doubts about the ability of these teams to make room for a maximum offer.
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