It seems like Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks could part ways after the season, while the Orlando Magic is still reeling from the leaked offseason plans for trades and signings. Head coach Frank Vogel even had to talk to forward Aaron Gordon, whose name appears on the board.
According to a report from the Orlando Sentinel, Vogel discussed with Gordon about a potential trade that involved him going to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for forward and Rookie of the Year candidate Dario Saric. The leak of the team's plans came from a photo that showed Patricio Garino signing with the Magic for the rest of the season.
The photo, which was taken by Garino's agent, showed the player signing the contract. But the whiteboard in the background showed names of potential trade targets and free agents that the Magic are hoping to sign or acquire.
Gordon's name can be seen in a parenthesis beside Saric's name, hinting that the team is thinking of trading him. Vogel said they don't usually address these kinds of rumors, but they are in a unique situation. He said that "everybody's good" and they're now "ready to move on."
Gordon said he wasn't aware of a possible trade to the 76ers, but said that's really out of his control. "My plan and my focus is to play basketball and to enjoy the game of basketball," the forward said.
Reports are saying that this isn't the first time Gordon's name was offered in a trade as the Magic tried to acquire Los Angeles Clippers Blake Griffin last year for Gordon and starting center Nikola Vucevic. The Clippers, though, rejected the trade.
In other news, it's no secret that Knicks president Phil Jackson has been offering Anthony all season long in a trade. But the forward has a no-trade clause in his contract, which makes it harder to deal him.
That's likely to change, though, once the season ends as Anthony said that he already "see the writing on the wall." He adds that "the chips will be on the table" at the end-of-season meeting that he will have with Jackson.
It's hard to see Anthony, though, vetoing that clause, even if it's a contender. The Knicks star seems to value more what New York brings to his family than the chase for a championship.
Other NBA trade rumors involve the Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler, who The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor (via CBS Sports) says is "as good as gone," according to a front-office source. Butler was heavily involved in trade rumors, especially nearing the trade deadline.
The report said that Butler has had some frustrations with head coach Fred Hoiberg. But the Bulls management expressed confidence in their second-year head coach.
The team has also been rumored to dangle Butler in a trade prior to last year's draft. Though Butler has been an amazing player, the team has some doubts about his leadership skills. Check out the winners and losers of the trades that happened prior to the trade deadline on Feb. 23, 2017.
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