Report: Knicks turned down Anderson-for-Melo trade from Rockets

The New York Knicks are not opposed to shedding Carmelo Anthony, but they're not just going to give him away for free.

The Houston Rockets tried to approach the Knicks with a trade proposal of Ryan Anderson for Anthony, and not surprisingly, the deal gained little traction, sources told Ian Begley of ESPN.

Anthony holds a no-trade clause, but the presumption was that he might be interested in joining good friend Chris Paul in Houston.

Anderson is a prolific 3-point gunner, but his bloated contract has dissuaded any takers. The 29-year-old power forward averaged 13.6 points and 4.6 rebounds last season while shooting 40.3 percent from deep, but is slated to earn $60 million over the next three seasons.

The Rockets tried a few weeks back to dump Anderson's contract onto any team that wanted him, but were unsuccessful. Clearing his salary off the books could potentially pave the way for the team to add another star player.