Report: Knicks, Rockets exploring four-team trade involving Carmelo Anthony

A deal sending Anthony to Houston has been talked about recently, and could happen very soon

UPDATE: A source familiar with the trade negotiations reportedly told the New York Daily News that a trade that would send Carmelo Anthony to the Rockets "is at the 2-yard line." The Knicks and Rockets are reportedly trying to recruit a fourth team to help facilitate the trade, as the Knicks try to avoid adding veteran players with long-term contracts.

The Houston Rockets and New York Knicks are working on trade scenarios involving four-team deals to potentially send Carmelo Anthony to the Rockets, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.

It's no secret the relationship between the Knicks and Anthony soured significantly the past year, in part because of former team president Phil Jackson's attempts to coax Anthony into waiving his no-trade clause. Now, it seems, the Rockets appear motivated to get a deal done to take the 10-time All-Star off New York's hands. Here's more details on the trade talks from ESPN.

No deal was imminent Wednesday, but the Knicks and Rockets are confident that they have a willing third-team trade partner incorporated into the framework, the sources said.

The fourth team was needed to move a particular player contract that neither the Knicks nor Rockets could or would accept in the deal, league sources said.

Although no agreement to ship Anthony to Houston is imminent, talks regarding a trade to Houston have been picking up steam.

According to Ian Begley of ESPN, Anthony would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to join the Rockets team that now features Chris Paul and James Harden. And the feeling around Anthony's camp is that a deal could happen soon.

On the Anthony front, the Knicks and Anthony feel good about the possibility of completing a deal that sends him out of New York, according to sources. The Knicks and Rockets have talked about an Anthony trade recently, with Wojnarowski reporting that "the Rockets have been persistent in their pursuit of Anthony, who is willing to waive his no-trade clause to join Paul and James Harden in Houston and the Knicks do not imagine a scenario where Hardaway is sharing the floor with Anthony to start the season.

Although a trade to send Anthony to Houston would likely involve at least three teams because of the complex nature of a potential deal, it appears both sides are highly motivated to strike a deal.