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In a blockbuster trade, the New York Knicks have reportedly traded 10-time All-Star forward, Carmelo Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and a 2018 second-round pick that belongs to the Chicago Bulls which the Thunder received in the Cameron Payne trade.
Also read: 5 Trade packages for Carmelo Anthony
Melo had to waive his no-trade clause for the trade, which he has done, and now he is a part of a new big 3 in Oklahoma City with Russell Westbrook and Paul George.
Let's analyze the winners and losers of this mega trade!
Winner: Carmelo Anthony
The Carmelo Anthony era in New York has finally come to an end. Clocking over 6 and a half years, the journey was full of ups and downs but mostly downs.
Peaking in the 2012-13 season with a 54-win season and an Eastern Conference Semi-Finals appearance, Melo averaged 24.7 points per game, 7 rebounds per game and 3.2 assists per game in a span of 412 games as a Knick.
Now he heads to an already loaded Western Conference and battle for supremacy with Russell Westbrook and co.
Loser: New York Knicks
This is not the ending the New York Knicks would have hoped for when they traded for Carmelo Anthony back in 2011.
They have not made the NBA Playoffs in the last 4 years. That coupled with the organization's instability and off-court distractions like the Charles Oakley fiasco have pushed the franchise into a dark corner.
And trading away one of the best scorers of the modern generation for two role players and a second-round pick is less than the return they would have hoped for.
The bright side? Things can only get better from here now.
Winner: Kristaps Porzingis
New York now belongs to the Unicorn.
Out of the shadows of Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis is now the unquestionable best player and the leader of the Knicks.
Potential to become one of the best players in the world, the Latvian has the chance to define the next chapter of one of the most storied franchises in league history and go down as one of its legends.
Now the onus lies on the Knicks organization to build a contender around this superstar talent.
Loser: Western Conference
Might as well as name the Western Conference to Westeros Conference because it is going to be a war.
An exodus of East All-Stars into the Western Conference has made it stronger than ever. Last year, the Golden State Warriors did not face any challenges throughout the Western playoffs, going 12-0.
Betting on something like that this year will take a brave man. Still the prohibited favorite, the Warriors will face a slew of tougher challenges than they did a year ago.
And we have not yet talked about the Houston Rockets or the Minnesota Timberwolves who added huge superstars in the form of Chris Paul and Jimmy Butler respectively.
Not to forget about the efficient machine otherwise known as the San Antonio Spurs.
Then there is the Denver Nuggets who added All-Star Paul Millsap and pair him with Nikola Jokic aka the Joker.Now we can add Oklahoma City Thunder to the mix.
All we can say is the battle for supremacy in the West is going to be spicy.
Winner: Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are all in.
First of all, Sam Presti is a genius. He traded for both Paul George and Carmelo Anthony without giving up a single 1st-round pick. He is a near lock for the 2017-18 NBA Executive of the Year award.
The Thunder now have some serious firepower to compete with anyone in the league.
With the reigning MVP now flanked by a serial scorer of the rock and one of the best 2-way players the league has to offer, things look bright, at least for the next year in Oklahoma.
Who would have imagined that the Thunder would be in this place when Kevin Durant left them just a year ago.
Now for the summer to have a perfect ending, the Thunder are hoping Russell Westbrook signs the super-max extension on the table and fully commit his future to the only franchise he has ever played for.
Guess the Lakers players!
