Lakers: Three three-team trades that make sense for LA

Knicks-Suns trade

• Los Angeles Receives: Carmelo Anthony

• Phoenix Receives: Kristaps Porzingis, Luol Deng

• New York Receives: Eric Bledsoe, Jordan Clarkson, Dragan Bender, Heat 2018 First Round Pick

This deal may be the most interesting of the trio and admittedly is the most practical for all three teams in play. The Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns are all in the same boat of mediocrity. However, a shuffling of the pieces may be what is best for all three teams.

First and foremost, here the Los Angeles Lakers are able to free up just under $30 million in cap space between Luol Deng and Jordan Clarkson. With Carmelo Anthony owning an early termination clause, the star forward could opt out to make room for his buddy, LeBron James. With Anthony taking a pay cut, the Lakers can now afford a third star.

As for the Suns, they get to swap the established play of Eric Bledsoe along with young talent Dragan Bender and the Heat’s first-round pick next season for a very promising Kristaps Porzingis. Porzingis is much farther along than Bender is, and could be one face of a dangerous trio with Devin Booker and Josh Jackson.

The Knicks get a complete reset with this move. Not only do they get a great leader in Eric Bledsoe, who will help develop Frank Ntilikina, they get promising young players Jordan Clarkson and Bender. For New York, this is making the best of their Carmelo situation.

Overall, this deal seems to be a win for all sides. While the chances of New York dealing both Carmelo and Porzingis are slim, this may be one of the fairer deals they could pull off.