Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks. (Photo by Tim Fuller/USA TODAY Sports)
4. What if Carmelo Anthony signed with the Knicks in the offseason instead of being traded?
Similar to the previous scenario, this is quite a mess in itself, as the whole can of worms that would have been opened if this took place is too crazy to think about. However, it’s still worth thinking about, as the Knicks very well could have swung a trade for another star had they not sent the kitchen sink for Carmelo Anthony.
Even if the Knicks didn’t opt to trade the package they sent for Anthony for another player, a core of Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire, Danilo Gallinari, and Wilson Chandler, alongside the eventual J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, and Tyson Chandler is much better than it originally was.
In addition to this, the Knicks would retain their picks in 2014 and 2016. While the 2014 first-rounder turned into Dario Saric, who was solid for a couple of years, the 2016 pick they gave up eventually became Jamal Murray, who as we all know is an exceptional player.
This is probably the most team-altering move because there’s really no telling what direction the Knicks would have gone. Knowing how aggressive the team was, we likely would have seen the same package used in the Anthony trade be used in a new trade for another star, however, who would New York have traded for?
Regardless, the early 2010s Knickstape team was incredibly fun to watch, so we can only imagine the thought of adding Chandler and Gallinari to that team while still having picks to re-tool or rebuild in the future.
one of the best stories</a> the league has ever seen, so shoutout to him.</p>
<p>It’s incredibly unfortunate that Game 7 went how it did because if Starks played better, he would have glorified his name in Knicks history more than it already is. Instead, fans were unable to see their team win another championship, which is something that still hasn’t been accomplished since.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/04/08/5-biggest-what-ifs-new-york-knicks-history/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> A more recent scenario that very nearly happened </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_141522" class="wp-caption alignnone">
<a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/04/08/5-biggest-what-ifs-new-york-knicks-history/2/"https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/imagn-images/2018/08/19613754.jpeg">
these signings not happening</a>.</p>
<p>However, it’s crazy to imagine what the Knicks would look like now if both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving opted to sign across the city as opposed to the disaster of an organization that is the Brooklyn Nets.</p>
<p>For starters, this, unfortunately, means no Julius Randle in New York, which likely has a drastic effect on his career because it’s doubtful that another team would allow him to take the kind of shots he does.</p>
<p>Another question to ask is; would the Knicks have traded for James Harden? Would they have sent RJ Barrett in that deal or even drafted him in the first place, or would they have traded the third pick for another star before Harden even became available?</p>
<p>While the Nets didn’t go very far with these two stars, they have had much more success in recent seasons than the Knicks, so it would’ve been interesting to see how things could’ve gone in a completely different and better environment.</p>
<p>Love them or hate them, both Irving and Durant are two of the most entertaining players in basketball and that level of play is something New York hasn’t seen in nearly a decade now.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/04/08/5-biggest-what-ifs-new-york-knicks-history/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Something that would have altered the history of the league </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_141521" class="wp-caption alignnone">
<a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/04/08/5-biggest-what-ifs-new-york-knicks-history/2/"https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/imagn-images/2018/08/5112204.jpeg">
Knicks all-time starting 5: Players who never reached playoffs in NY</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/04/08/5-biggest-what-ifs-new-york-knicks-history/2/"https://dailyknicks.com/2023/04/03/knicks-time-starting-5-players-never-reached-playoffs-ny/embed/#?secret=F6lRje8iMk" data-secret="F6lRje8iMk" width="500" height="282" title="“Knicks all-time starting 5: Players who never reached playoffs in NY” — Daily Knicks" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p></div><!—pageview_candidate—></p>">