Report: Celtics not interested in trading for Melo
Despite having a treasure chest of assets at their disposal to acquire the superstar talent they seek, the Boston Celtics aren't willing to throw their name in the hat for a nine-time All-Star and former scoring champion who's reportedly available.
The Celtics have let the New York Knicks know that they aren't interested in making a trade for Carmelo Anthony, sources told ESPN.
The two parties held "exploratory talks" during the 2015-16 regular season over Anthony's availability, but no deal was struck.
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Boston joins the reigning NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers in turning down offers for Anthony. New York reportedly offered its face of the franchise in a straight-up swap for All-Star power forward Kevin Love, although that that was turned down rather swiftly.
Anthony is one of three players in the Association (LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki) with a no-trade clause written in his contract. While staying in the Big Apple is something he'd very much like to do, the 32-year-old would reportedly waive the clause if he could land with either the Cavaliers or Los Angeles Clippers, or if the Knicks decided to go into a full-blown rebuild.
Related: Phil Jackson's treatment of Carmelo sends loud warning to free agents
He won't be competing for the Eastern Conference All-Stars in New Orleans on Feb. 19 after being left off the roster for the first time since 2009.
In 46 appearances, Anthony is averaging 22.7 points, six rebounds, and 3.1 assists on 43.8 percent shooting for a 20-27 Knicks squad three games out of a playoff spot and eight games behind the Celtics in the standings.