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According to ESPN's Adrain Wojnarowski, the Trail Blazers' hopes of completing a trade for Carmelo Anthony hit a snag when it came to the star's willingness to relocate to the Pacific Northwest.
Knicks General Manager Scott Perry was in contact with Trail Blazers President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey until the final stages of the deal, as the Blazers had the most diverse set of assets available for trade. Even with the right pieces in place to make a deal work, it was Anthony who ultimately decided against moving completely across the country.
Wojnarowski elaborated on the situation with his report earlier today:
Perry remained in contact with Portland Trail Blazers president of basketball operations Neil Olshey, who had the most versatile array of assets for New York and motivation to make the deal -- but, ultimately, Anthony would not accept a trade to the Pacific Northwest.
Location aside, Anthony did have some interest in joining Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum in Portland. According to ESPN's report, Anthony considered the Blazers due to the following factors:
Anthony was intrigued with a potential partnership with Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic, and the stability and track record of the front office and coaching staff in Portland, but did not want to make such a dramatic geographic shift, league sources said.
The Blazers will face Anthony on four separate occasions this season, as he is now a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder.