A super early preview of 3 potential Miami Heat trade targets

2. Carmelo Anthony

Targeting Anthony, while certainly advantageous in the short-term, would be more focused the summer 2018. And that is potentially pairing Anthony with his long-time rival, and close friend, LeBron James.

James leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers at the end of 2017-18 has gone from being scuttlebutt to a realistic possibility. And no none one would be more aware of that than Anthony.

Currently contracted until the end of 2018-19 (a player option in his final season), Anthony’s no-trade clause severely limits the Knicks, and gives him essentially all the power in negotiations for his future home. Anthony is currently strongly linked to both the Cavaliers and the Houston Rockets. In other words, legitimate title contending teams.

But the faint possibility of a James-Heat reunion may have him thinking twice when agreeing to a potential transaction.

Just last week, and further to his earlier  comments, Sedano raised the possibility of a James-Heat reunion on SportsCenter:

"“I think, and this is just my guess – I think Pat Riley is trying for a LeBron reunion….LeBron is not happy, that’s what it seems like at the moment. Pat Riley is best known as a guy who likes to swoop in and take on the disgruntled superstar. He did it once with LeBron, he did it with Shaq, he did it with Alonzo Mourning.” “Pat is also in this to win this one more time. He basically told reporters a couple of years ago when LeBron left – all I need is one more…I think with LeBron having his options open and not committing to Cleveland beyond this coming season….I wouldn’t rule out a Miami reunion if the dominoes line up properly.”"

One of those dominoes, clearly, would be the acquisition of Anthony. Considering what Anthony has experienced in New York, a move to Miami to play on a highly competitive team and well-run organization could be enticing. Not to mention the possibility of landing James, which cannot be totally ruled out.

This gives each team something it desires. For the Knicks, they get a dominant center in Whiteside to team up with rising star Kristaps Porzingis to present a formidable frontcourt for the foreseeable future in New York.

For the Heat, this provides the team with the legitimate All-Star they presently don’t have on their roster. And furthermore, they’d be acquiring a player with a real determination to succeed following the legitimate clown show on display in the Knicks front office for the past several seasons.