Acquire Kanter, McDermott & Second-Round Pick
The Carmelo Anthony era in New York has officially come to an end.
The New York Knicks announced that they acquired Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and Chicago’s second-round pick in the 2018 NBA Draft from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Anthony.
“This is a deal we feel works for both this franchise and Carmelo. We thank him for his seven seasons in a Knicks uniform and all that he accomplished off the court for the City of New York by using his platform to address social issues,” President Steve Mills said.
“We will continue to focus on this team looking forward towards the immediate and long-term future. As we have said recently, this is a new beginning for the New York Knicks.”
Kanter, 25, averaged 14.3 points and 6.7 rebounds last season for the Thunder. He was originally drafted third overall in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz. He spent parts of five seasons with the Jazz before being traded to the Thunder in 2015.
The Thunder acquired McDermott, 25, from Chicago earlier this year. In his three-year career, McDermott has shot 39.4% on 3-pointers. McDermott starred in college for Creighton, where he led the nation in scoring as a senior, averaging 26.7 points per game.
[Hahn: New Era for Knicks Begins]
“We acquired two 25-year-old players in this deal that we can develop, while sticking with our overall strategy of emphasizing youth and athleticism. With this trade, we have added scoring and aggressiveness to our frontcourt, and bolstered the team’s perimeter shooting,” Knicks General Manager Scott Perry said.
“We are glad to have finalized a trade that made sense for all of us.”
Anthony, 33, joined the Knicks via trade from Denver in 2011 and spent six-plus season in New York. He was an All-Star every year with the Knicks and in 2012-13 he averaged a career-high 28.7 points, leading the Knicks to a 54-28 record and an Atlantic Division title.
The two teams open the regular season against one another on October 19 in Oklahoma City. Anthony will return to New York for the first time as a visitor on December 16 as the Thunder visit The Garden.
