There were only so many options for trading Carmelo Anthony, and the trade never was going to come easily.
But on Thursday, the Thunder found a way to move on from the 10-time All-Star while adding roster pieces and subtracting money.
And though its trade of Anthony — part of a three-team deal that will bring point guard Dennis Schroder and swingman Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot to Oklahoma City — comes with risk, there's considerable potential reward for Oklahoma City.
In sending Anthony to Atlanta — along with a lottery-protected first-round pick in 2022 — the Thunder will cut considerably into a salary and tax bill that would have exceeded $300 million had he remained on the roster.