THUNDER STRUCK!
Melo finally shipped out, as Knicks add Kanter, McDermott from OKC
At the speed of thunder and lightning, Carmelo Anthony has finally been zapped from New York.
One day after Anthony finally opened up his wish list to include the Thunder and the Cavaliers, the Knicks sent their 33-year-old declining star off to Oklahoma City, agreeing on a deal centered around center Enes Kanter and Doug McDermott, multiple NBA sources confirmed to The Post.
An NBA source told The Post the deal will be announced Monday. “It’s in place,” the source said. The Knicks also will obtain a 2018 second-round pick Oklahoma City had acquired from Chicago.
“They really needed to do this for a fresh start,” one NBA executive who spoke to the Knicks told The Post.
In what is nothing short of poetic, the Knicks will see Anthony soon — their season-opening game is Oct. 19 in Oklahoma City. Of course it is.
Anthony gets his wish of playing on a contender and the Knicks don’t take the kind of long-term hit on the salary cap they would have had they taken a package from the Rockets that included forward Ryan Anderson.
While the Knicks get young assets, in many ways, the team views this as an addition by subtraction. Kanter and McDermott are both 25 — the sweet-spot age for the Knicks’ new regime.
The club also dreaded having Anthony appear at training camp as a walking 6-foot-8 distraction.
After all but guaranteeing Anthony would be at camp Monday because of the stalemate, Knicks president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry were thrilled when they got word he would expand his wish list to include Cleveland and Oklahoma City. The Post reported Anthony would have added Portland to the list if negotiations didn’t work out with those two clubs.
“Better late than never,’’ one Knicks official said upon hearing the news of Anthony’s change of heart.
The Cavaliers were a tough sell because the player the Knicks covet, defensive forward Jae Crowder, can’t be traded until Oct. 22.
So now Anthony will join Russell Westbrook and newly acquired Paul George with the Thunder, preventing him from having to be the No. 1 option. Westbrook appeared at Anthony’s scrimmages at his Manhattan gym this offseason.
The Knicks get Kanter, a young 6-foot-11 scoring center with upside — though they have Willy Hernangomez set at that position — and a sweet 3-point shooter in McDermott, who hasn’t lived up to his potential after being drafted in the first round in 2014. One issue is neither newcomer is known for defense, which the new regime has put a premium on.
This saga began in January with sinceousted team president Phil Jackson deciding he couldn’t win with Anthony, whose no-trade clause prevented the Knicks from making deals. Mills concurred the club should move on without Anthony and embark on a full-blown youth movement.
Kanter averaged 14.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game during the regular season in 2016-17 for the Thunder, but was less effective in the playoffs and has been a defensive liability.
With playing-time issues, McDermott averaged 6.6 points per game in Oklahoma City after arriving in a midseason trade from the Bulls.
Kanter makes $17.6 million this season and has a player option for next season at more than $18 million. McDermott is in the final year of his rookie deal, making $3.3 million this season, but is eligible for an extension. The deadline is in late October.
Anthony, 33, averaged 22.4 points and 5.9 rebounds for the Knicks last season. It was his lowest rebound average since 2005-06 and his shooting percentage (43.4 percent) was disappointing to coach Jeff Hornacek.
More i mportantly, Knicks brass believe Anthony failed as a leader and became divisive in the locker room regarding Jackson’s vision. The Post reported in July that, when Kristaps Porzingis praised the triangle offense in March to reporters, Anthony reamed him out.
Jackson, who coached summers in Puerto Rico in the early 1980s during his days with the Albany Patroons of the CBA, couldn’t help but mention the Anthony trade as he stumped for hurricane relief donations.
“No, I’m [not] here to comment on the OKC/NY trade, btw I hope it works out well for both parties, which is how trades should work. I’m here for PR,” Jackson wrote on Twitter.
ESPN reported Westbrook and George both were factors in convincing Anthony to add the Thunder to his trade wish list. Another factor was Oklahoma City vice president and assistant general manager Troy Weaver, who has a soft spot for Anthony. He is a former assistant coach at Syracuse and recruited Anthony.
Anthony and Weaver won an NCAA title together in 2003 and now will try to dethrone the Warriors.