Now, the Thunder are hungry for more and are putting together quite the offseason. They’ve already nabbed Paul George from the Pacers, and they just acquired Carmelo Anthony in a trade with the New York Knicks. The Thunder will send Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott, and a second-round pick (via the Bulls) in exchange for Anthony. To allow the deal to actually happen, Anthony waived his no-trade clause and $8.1 million trade kicker. The no-trade clause will follow him to the Thunder, who were one of three teams – the other being the Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets – for which Anthony would waive his no-trade clause. The Thunder will absorb a $27.8 million luxury tax penalty this season as their payroll rises to $134 million. Anthony still has two years and $54 million left on his deal, which includes a player option for $27.9 million during the 2018-19 campaign. The trade, of course, means Anthony’s days as a Knick are over. And while the team may not have seen great success during his stay, he certainly made a ton of money. Over the course of 2,404 days, Anthony earned $56,444 every single day he was a member of the Knicks. That’s an average of $313,933 per game, for a grand total of $135.9 million. Not bad for a little more than six years of service. Oklahoma City’s odds to win the title jumped from 20-to-1 to 16-to-1 after landing Anthony, though their projected win total only increased one game, from 51.5 to 52.5. Their window to win might be limited to this year – Westbrook has a five-year, $207 million extension waiting for him, with a deadline to sign by October 16. If the Thunder attempt to re-sign Westbrook, Anthony and George next offseason, their payroll and luxury tax could combine to reach $300 million. That’s more than any NBA team has ever paid in one season. Bringing in George and Anthony for what may be just one-year rental is a bold gamble. But these guys are still great players. Maybe a change of scenery is all they need to help bring home a championship.
