DeKalb – Forward Carmelo Anthony was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. His former team, the New York Knicks, received center Enes Kanter, forward Doug McDermott and the Chicago Bulls 2018 second round draft pick in return.

Before the trade occurred, there were rumors going on for months that Anthony would be traded. Some of the teams included in the rumors were the Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers. Oklahoma City however, was rarely mentioned as a landing spot for Anthony in the months leading up to the trade.

The trade officially puts the Knicks in rebuilding mode, as they now mainly possess a slue of young players with little to no playoff experience. On the other side of the trade, Anthony’s arrival propels the Thunder to a new level. Before acquiring Anthony, the Thunder managed to snag another star player over the summer in a trade for forward Paul George. This was much needed after the departure of forward Kevin Durant to the Golden State Warriors last summer.  

Now the Thunder have picked up Anthony and George, they still have 2017-2018 MVP (most valuable player) guard Russell Westbrook under contract, two things have become evident for the Thunder. One being they now have a highly coveted “Big Three” star players that has lead to a significant amount of success in recent years for several NBA teams such as the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.  The other being the Thunder have made themselves a legitimate Finals contender.  

The new-look Thunder will without question be an offensive powerhouse this season. With the trio of Anthony, Westbrook and George, the team now has three players who averaged 20+ points per game last season according to ESPN.  The only offensive issue the team may have, is that all three players have a ball dominant playing style. The “Big Three” will need to learn to share the ball if they ultimately want to be successful in pursuing a championship.

For Anthony himself, playing for the Thunder this season could be good or bad depending on a couple different factors. Along with changing his offensive playing style, Anthony will have to take on an unfamiliar defensive role as well.  Thunder head coach Billy Donovan plans to start Anthony at the power forward position according to a Sep. 26 Bleacher Report. Anthony has only played small forward for his entire career for the Knicks and Denver Nuggets. Questions have been raised whether or not Anthony will be able matchup against the physical power forwards of the league defensively but he will no doubt have the advantage offensively.  

At 33-years-old, Anthony’s next few seasons with the Thunder may be his last chances of being a major contributor on a championship winning team. His new team has the star power to be competitive, but if they want to be title contenders, everyone on the team will have to by in to sharing the ball and playing as a team.