NBA Trade Rumors - The Carmelo Anthony trade rumour saga continues on Sunday with another trade scenario that would surely pique the imagination of every die-hard NBA basketball fan.

In the wake of what Doc Rivers called bogus reporting on Anthony for Blake Griffin swap, another interesting trade scenario is generating some buzz on several basketball forums and social networking sites.

According to Sheridan Hoops, one viable option for the New York Knicks is to trade Anthony to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Luol Deng, Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic or a first-round pick.

With Anthony becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer, several NBA analysts - including ESPN's Stephen A. Smith - believed the Knicks should trade Melo now while they have a chance to do so. Apparently, Smith feared that the reigning scoring champion could bolt out of the Big Apple, preventing the Knicks to get a solid compensation package.

"Stephen A Smith spoke to sources in the last 24 hours that told him "Melo is out". He's not staying for this, Carmelo Anthony has to be traded before the trading deadline," Smith said via Knicks Nation.

Last week, an anonymous former teammate also revealed what's on Anthony's mind right now, saying the All-Star forward is unlikely to re-sign with the Knickerbockers next summer.

"I think he's leaving," the former teammate told Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. "I've played with Melo for a long time and he knows he can't win here. At this stage, all he wants to do is win. That's why he'll leave."

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Anthony Seeing Red

According to New York Post NBA insider Marc Berman, Melo has the Knicks as his top choice despite rumours about him leaving Madison Square Garden. However, it's not also secret that Anthony wants to play for a contender in a big market. The Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and the Chicago Bulls are reportedly the 'wild-cards' in the Melo Sweepstakes.

The Bulls have once again dealt several injuries this season, but no bigger setbacks than Derrick Rose had. Rose, who played just 10 games coming off a year-long knee rehab due to a torn ACL, will miss the remainder of the season due to a torn MCL in his right knee.

Rose is reportedly against any rebuilding effort by the Bulls, though the inclusion of Anthony in the lineup would surely intrigue him. Moreover, Anthony has a lot of respect for Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau, which could make his transition much faster, if traded.

Sheridan Hoops indicated that the Knicks could get a nice haul of compensation in return if they trade Anthony to the Bulls. Deng is a proven two-way player and a perennial All-Star caliber player, while Gibson and possibly Mirotic (first-round pick) will give the team a nice foundation for the future.

On the other hand, Bulls insider Nick Friedell doesn't believe Chicago will go after Anthony next summer because they don't have the flexibility to sign max contract player.

"Everybody who thinks the Bulls are going after Melo -- read this for a reality check. They don't have enough cap space to go after a free agent this summer. If they can bring Mirotic over here it will be a success," Friedell during chat session on ESPN Nation.

More Melo trade speculations are expected to bob out of nowhere as the trade deadline approaches, but one thing is clear here - the ball is in the Knicks' court.

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