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Supreme
OVR: 24
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 5,787
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Carmelo Anthony Traded To New York
I'll keep updating this thread with all news Carmelo (at least until it's clear Houston is completely out of the race). Some people wanted to discuss it, and I thought it warranted it's own thread. I know, there's a lot of news and articles in this first post, so feel free to read as little or as much as you like (or just check out the bold points). Either way, the information is here. I've also included a poll so people can speculate where he ends up.
08/18/10
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Sources: Carmelo open to multiyear deal with Rockets or Nets
Should the Denver Nuggets elect to trade Carmelo Anthony, the New York Knicks are believed to be the All-Star forward's first choice for a new home. But they are not his only option.
Multiple league sources familiar with his situation told SI.com that Anthony would also be open to signing a long-term deal with Houston or New Jersey should either of those teams offer the Nuggets an acceptable trade package.
Getting Anthony, 26, to agree to an extension is the key to any deal as he can become a free agent after the 2010-11 season. Denver has offered Anthony a three-year, $65 million extension, but he has balked at signing it and is reportedly looking for a way out. Because acquiring Anthony would require a substantial package of players and/or draft picks, it is highly unlikely any team would risk making a trade without having Anthony agree to a simultaneous extension.
While resolving Anthony's situation is a priority in Denver, there is no urgency to make a deal quickly. The Denver Post reported in June that the Nuggets were prepared to trade Anthony rather than watch him opt out of his contract next summer. However, the Nuggets are without a general manager after they let go of top basketball executives Mark Warkentien and Rex Chapman.
Former Suns executive David Griffin is believed to be the top candidate to run the basketball operations, but a league source said the Nuggets were still interviewing candidates. |
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08/24/10
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Kroenke’s son tries to woo Anthony
Denver Nuggets executive Josh Kroenke met with Carmelo Anthony(notes) in Baltimore over the weekend and restarted the process of selling the disgruntled star on signing a contract extension, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.
No resolutions were reached, sources said, but Kroenke, the owner’s son, has undoubtedly emerged as a far more powerful voice in the franchise. His burden is unmistakable now: As a 30-year-old on the cusp of taking over majority ownership of the Nuggets, he must sell the All-Star forward on staying the course with the Nuggets.
The Nuggets are close to hiring a new general manager – with former Phoenix Suns executive David Griffin the frontrunner – but Kroenke and adviser Bret Bearup will have the most significant say in basketball matters.
Anthony has hesitated to sign a three-year, $65 million extension and expressed intrigue with opting out of his contract next summer to become a free agent. Despite significant speculation the New York Knicks are the team that Anthony would most likely want to join, two sources close to him insisted the Knicks have been overstated as an object of his desire. Privately, Anthony has expressed more enthusiasm over joining the Houston Rockets than the Knicks, sources said.
Anthony still believes he can get the maximum possible money from re-signing with the Nuggets now, sources said, with his sights on engineering a trade to a preferred destination later. For him to opt out of his contract at the end of next season would be an immense risk. With league owners determined to shorten the years and lessen the money on max contracts in the next collective bargaining agreement, Anthony and his representatives know they could cost themselves tens of millions of guaranteed dollars.
The departure of vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien has elevated Kroenke to a more prominent role in the Nuggets organization – one that likely will eventually include majority ownership. Well before the Nuggets didn’t renew Warkentien’s contract this summer, sources said Kroenke made a springtime tour to meet several of the most prominent West Coast player agents. The agents were told they would soon be dealing more directly with Kroenke on Nuggets personnel matters. |
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08/25/10
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Search for Nuggets GM continues
Former Phoenix Suns assistant general manager David Griffin turned down the Denver Nuggets' offer to be their next general manager, according to sources, and the team is expected to pursue Masai Ujiri, director of global scouting for the Toronto Raptors.
Ujiri spent four years as the Nuggets' director of international scouting before joining the Raptors.
Griffin turned down the offer, a league source said, in part because it was nowhere near $1 million a year, the median salary for recently hired GMs such as the Cleveland Cavaliers' Chris Grant, the New Orleans Hornets' Dell Demps and the Portland Trail Blazers' Rich Cho.
The authority of the position is also uncertain. Josh Kroenke, son of owner Stan Kroenke, and Stan's adviser, Bret Bearup, are expected to be heavily involved. Despite not having a GM in place, the source said the Nuggets have been exploring what they might be able to get for All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony, who has not signed the team's three-year, $65 million extension offer and could become a free agent next summer.
Another league source said Anthony, "in his heart," would like to stay in Denver but has lost faith in the team's direction. |
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State tax may cost Knicks shot at Carmelo
If Carmelo Anthony becomes a free agent next July, the Knicks might have to contend with Houston -- and Texas' lack of a state income tax.
LeBron James, when he signed with the Heat, chose to play in a state -- Florida -- without a state income tax.
According to Yahoo, Anthony recently talked more "enthusiastically" about the Rockets as a possible destination more so than the Knicks. That has no effect on where Anthony could be traded if the Nuggets decide to deal Anthony.
At February's trading deadline, Denver will have 29 other teams to pick from -- and Anthony's preference probably is no factor.
Anthony reportedly met with Denver's ownership over the weekend, with no resolution on whether he will sign the three-year, $65 million contract extension on the table.
Amar'e Stoudemire has made strong indications Anthony regards the Knicks as his top choice. |
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Nuggets to hire Masai Ujiri as general manager
Former Nuggets scout Masai Ujiri will become the team's new general manager, according to an NBA source.
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At the top of his to-do list will be to help finish what new owner Josh Kroenke has started, convince star forward Carmelo Anthony to stay in Denver. And if not, then help devise a plan to get as much as they can through a trade and move the organization in a different direction.
Soon thereafter, he'll be charged with figuring out what to do with J.R. Smith, who has already been dangled in trades, re-signing coach George Karl, and sorting through how the team wants to move forward with Kenyon Martin, who is in the last year of his contract.
The opening was created when the Nuggets opted not to renew the contracts of vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien and vice president of player personnel Rex Chapman on Aug. 3. |
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08/26/10
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Anthony, Nuggets look ready to part ways
Carmelo Anthony(notes) wants out of Denver, and World Wide Wes delivered that message to the Nuggets with all the delicacy of a jackhammer at Sunday morning services. Do yourself a favor and trade him, the agent told the organization weeks ago.
Carmelo Anthony has made it clear to the Nuggets he wants a change of scenery.
Denver was furnished with a short list of teams and told to get to work. Yes, this how William Wesley and Leon Rose of CAA work now, thick with threats and ultimatums and a swagger suggesting that the sport belongs to them. After Anthony told owner-in-waiting Josh Kroenke that he still wanted out of Denver during a Sunday meeting, the Nuggets appear done trying to sell their All-Star forward on a contract extension.
This wasn’t a productive, nor particularly pleasant, meeting and multiple sources said it could turn out to be the point of no return for Anthony and the organization. Sources insist it’s no longer a matter of if the Nuggets trade Anthony, but when, where and for whom he’s traded for.
“It’s almost a given they’re going to move him,” said a front-office executive who’s talked with the Nuggets and Anthony’s agents with CAA.
Between the agents’ bullying and Anthony’s dismissive disposition in Sunday’s meeting, sources said Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke, Josh’s father, finally made a stand with CAA.
Keep it up, and the Nuggets will never do a deal for one of your clients again.
Try to dictate terms of a trade and we won’t move him.
Keep up the heavy-handedness and you’ll get a war.
Kroenke has decided to deal with CAA in a way most of the league is too fearful to try. Leon Rose, the agent who works with Wesley, backed down, sources said, and is willing to be more open-minded on potential trade destinations. Anthony wants to leave Denver and get his three-year, $65 million contract extension now. This partnership is rounding third and rapidly reaching disrepair. Denver is willing to trade Anthony, J.R. Smith(notes) and Kenyon Martin(notes), and start over again, sources said.
The Nuggets made it clear to teams they want young players and draft picks for Anthony, league executives said. The New Jersey Nets and Los Angeles Clippers have emerged as the two most probable destinations for Anthony because they have assets that appeal to Denver. The geography works for Anthony because of his wife LaLa Vazquez’s entertainment career.
Golden State and Houston are contenders, too. What’s more, the Charlotte Bobcats are a sleeper because of Anthony’s Brand Jordan shoe deal and the team’s ability to give the Nuggets a salary-dump proposal.
Back in mid-July, the Kroenkes had to travel to New York for Anthony’s wedding to finally realize he no longer intended to sign their extension offer. The reception spiraled into an evening of Chris Paul(notes) and Anthony’s brother making toasts about a future partnership for Anthony and Paul in New York with the Knicks. With nothing to trade for Anthony, though, New York isn’t considered a strong contender in the eyes of Denver management.
Few can be as strong-minded and willful as Stan Kroenke, and it doesn’t matter the Nuggets will be turned over to his son Josh by the end of the year. Stan still will be lording over the franchise, and the billionaire has shown an old-school ability to carry through on his convictions once you’ve lost him as an ally.
With the way that CAA has tried to muscle and manipulate the market this summer, a source said Stan Kroenke, freshly approved as the St. Louis Rams owner, feels further emboldened in the NBA’s collective bargaining talks to push for a “franchise player” tag that teams could slap on superstars like the one the NFL uses. NBA owners are still far from seriously discussing that issue, but CAA’s manipulation of Anthony and Paul while under contract has become an increasingly sore subject within the league.
For now, the departure of Denver general manager Mark Warkentien and the increased influence of Kroenke advisor Bret Bearup means there won’t be much of a fight within the organization to stay the course with Anthony, sources said. Denver has hired Masai Ujiri as its new GM, but he doesn’t arrive with the authority to make major moves. Things have deteriorated too fast and grown too nasty to believe Denver will turn back now. ‘Melo is on the market, and the bidding has begun. |
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Report: Carmelo Anthony Wants Out of Denver
When Carmelo Anthony didn't immediately jump at the chance to sign a three-year, $65 million contract extension with the Nuggets this summer, rumors began to spread that maybe he wasn't all that thrilled about staying in Denver beyond next season.
Those rumors now hold more truth, thanks to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports that says Anthony and his agent have told the team in no uncertain terms that he wants out.
And at this point, even the "next season" part appears to be in serious jeopardy.
According to the report, Anthony's representatives, William Wesley and Leon Rose, had told Nuggets' ownership that they'd be better off trading the team's best player weeks ago. Anthony echoed those sentiments in a meeting on Sunday, one that apparently went so poorly that it may have solidified his future in Denver -- or lack thereof.
"This wasn't a productive, nor particularly pleasant, meeting and multiple sources said it could turn out to be the point of no return for Anthony and the organization. Sources insist it's no longer a matter of if the Nuggets trade Anthony, but when, where and for whom he's traded for," Wojnarowski wrote.
Anthony effectively demanding to be dealt out of town comes at a strange time for the organization. Before head coach George Karl was forced out of action due to undergoing throat cancer treatment late last season, the Nuggets appeared to be the team best suited to challenge the Lakers in the Western Conference. Without Karl there, however, Denver limped to the regular-season finish line, and the club was unceremoniously bounced out of the playoffs in the first round at the hands of the Utah Jazz.
Now, after parting ways with former Executive of the Year Mark Warkentien and just recently hiring former Raptors executive Masai Ujiri, the team is faced with potentially being forced to completely rebuild the franchise if they end up trading Anthony for nothing more than young talent and draft picks.
It's very similar to what took place in Phoenix this offseason, with Steve Kerr and David Griffin resigning after Kerr and Suns owner Robert Sarver couldn't come to an agreement on a new contract. The Suns were left without any tenured front office leadership to guide them through the tricky Amar'e Stoudemire free-agency period, and once Amar'e left for NYC and the max contract that he deserved, the team that finished last season just two games from the Finals was left with a former agent in Lon Babby scrambling to replace Stoudemire with the likes of Hedo Turkoglu, Josh Childress and Hakim Warrick.
With untested front-office leadership in Denver, there's no telling how this will turn out for the Nuggets. Anthony reportedly gave the team a short list of his preferred destinations, which included the Nets, Clippers, Warriors, Rockets and Bobcats -- all teams that have some combination of young pieces and picks that the Nuggets might convince themselves is enough in return for Anthony.
But in all reality, it won't be. And a team that was seemingly on the rise to the level of legitimate contender a season ago might start this next campaign in a significantly worse position. |
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08/27/10
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Melo, Nuggets May Need To Work Cooperatively
As the ill will between Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets grows, apparently even the superstar's spouse is caught in the crossfire. According to a report in the Denver Post, members of the Nuggets' management privately resent the influence of Anthony's wife, LaLa Vasquez, who is in the entertainment industry. When Anthony switched his representation to CAA, Vasquez also signed on with the agency, which is now pushing for Anthony's departure from Denver.
The Nuggets may just recently have come to the decision to trade Anthony but the team has been exploring the possibility of dealing him since June. Thursday's Yahoo! Sports report mentions the Nets and Clippers as two teams with the most value to send back to Denver in a trade for Anthony. But the quality of any package of talent and picks that the Nuggets are able to receive in return for Anthony will be directly dependent on whether Anthony is willing to sign an extension with the team to which he would be traded.
It is unlikely that the Nets or Clippers, or any potential destination, will offer their best assets to Denver unless Anthony is willing to extend his contract simultaneously with the completion of a trade. No team would be eager to give up valuable pieces for what could end up being a one-year rental of Anthony.
And in turn, Anthony's willingness to commit to any team long term could be heavily influenced by which players that team would trade away for him and how much talent remains on the roster he would be joining.
"While it's nice to dream of the Nuggets acquiring a young player such as New Jersey center Brook Lopez or Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin in a package deal," writes Mark Kiszla, "squabbling between Anthony and team management only figures to drive down any bargaining power Denver might have in trade negotiations. An amicable separation would likely benefit the Nuggets far more than an ugly divorce."
Denver owner Stan Kroenke is reportedly firing back threats to Anthony's representatives and seems willing to play hardball rather than let a player under contract dictate terms. But in the end, Anthony's power to sign or not sign an extension with Denver's trade partner ensures that the team's management and Anthony will need to work together to come to a resolution on the superstar's future. |
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The Gambler
Here at the outset of this article, it is important to mention that I am relying on the reporting of others as the foundation for this piece. Both Adrian Wojnarowski and Marc Spears have done good work on the Carmelo Anthony situation this summer and this serves as an interpretation of possible paths ahead rather than new journalistic ground.
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The Carmelo situation is particularly interesting because there are three distinct time periods where he could change addresses, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages for all involved parties.
The easiest time period is the one after this coming season. If Melo decides to leave, the best guess is that the price would be similar to Bosh and James, with Denver having additional leverage (and assets back) if the new team has less financial flexibility than Miami did.
The second circumstance is trading Carmelo before this season starts. One major change here is that Carmelo would be able to sign an extension with the trading team right now, which both decreases the long-term risk for him and his future team and increases what he can yield in a trade as it comes to Denver. The other additional nuance here is the possibility of a team “renting” Carmelo for this year. Since the renting team would still have the opportunity to sign Carmelo (or at least pick up the picks from a 2011 sign-and-trade), they would still have to pay a little bit of a premium, especially since Denver would be losing out on a season of their best player despite the possibility of it being a lame duck year.
By far the most interesting potential team here is the LA Lakers. An Andrew Bynum for Carmelo Anthony trade works straight up, as do a few different variants. For Denver, it likely represents the best return they can get on Carmelo- after all, think about whether Toronto would take that over two first round picks from Miami.
For the Lakers, they lose a young asset but at the worst become the clear-cut favorites for the 2011 title and keeping all but one rotation player beyond next season. The best case is that Melo re-signs and they have a core that easily rivals and likely outpaces Miami for at least a couple more years.
The other potential rental destinations are Portland (they have the assets to make a deal Denver could take even without a promise to re-sign, though they may not do it) and New Jersey (see Portland). While it is inherently unlikely that this path is the one taken since most teams don’t have the guts to roll the dice like that, it is a possibility worth discussing.
Beyond that, the third option is to trade Carmelo to a team with an extension, much like the Kevin Garnett deal in the summer of 2007. Here, Denver has to cater to Melo’s whims to a degree since he can put the kibosh on any deal by refusing to sign an extension with that team. That said, they could have some leverage if the team would not have the ability to sign Carmelo outright in 2011 as well as a risk premium since they would have a franchise player locked in for at least the next four seasons.
The other factor here is that the financial security would be a big help for Carmelo’s peace of mind considering the looming lockout and potential CBA changes that are unknowns which affect Melo’s next contract. If they play it right, Denver could squeeze out a meaningful asset by holding the scepter of an uncertain deal over Melo’s head for the next few months.
The final option is to trade Anthony during the season without an extension, yet that is awkward because it is unlikely to achieve the goals of any party involved, though it is possible that Denver could end up getting more cutting bait at the trade deadline than they would get in the summer.
The additional difference between this and other situations, most notably Chris Paul's with the Hornets, is that Denver does not have any particularly bad contracts on their books. The Nuggets do not have a single player signed for more than the MLE on their books beyond 2012, and all of their big 2011 contracts are option years (Melo and Nene have player options while the Nuggets have a team option on Chauncey Billups). This salary flexibility means that Denver does not have to focus on using Carmelo to shed another deal should they decide to trade him and can instead focus on bringing back assets in return.
Simply put, those are the different ways this can shake out.
If Denver reasonably believes that Carmelo could change his mind and come back, it would make sense to keep him around. The guy is a great player and it is awfully hard to replace him either in a trade or free agency. However, if he moves into Bosh territory, they should move deliberately. While Melo does have substantial leverage by limiting trade partners through his extension, the Nuggets can use both the uncertainty of the next CBA and the rental options to get a substantially better deal than both Cleveland and Toronto got earlier this summer.
I sincerely hope Carmelo is weighing all of the amazing potential landing places he has for 2011 and beyond, including Denver. While the 2010 free agent cities get a ton of pub for that, the 2011 group should have some very interesting teams as well, especially considering Melo’s personal history.
1. Washington- In my eyes, this is the perfect place for Carmelo if he wants to change addresses. As a kid who grew up in Baltimore, the Wizards represent a place where he can both be the face of the franchise and still have quality players around him. John Wall is going to be a stud sooner rather than later, and they have a nice little cluster of players in Andray Blatche, JaVale McGee, Trevor Booker, Kevin Seraphin, Kirk Hinrich, and Gilbert Arenas coupled with a great owner who will spend to make the team competitive.
2. Brooklyn/New Jersey- The borough where Carmelo was born provides another logical location. The Nets now have a starting big man core in Brook Lopez and Derrick Favors along with a swingman in Terrance Williams who would serve as a nice foil to Anthony. CSKA Brooklyn also has strong ownership that will spend to compete and allows Carmelo to be the face of the franchise while having a legit team around him.
3. New York- Some reporting has the Knicks has the long-term favorites to sign Anthony, and it is easy to see the appeal. As the high profile team in America’s biggest city, the Knicks have some major advantages. They also have young talent in Anthony Randolph, Danilo Gallinari, and Wilson Chandler, though I’m skeptical of the fit of Chandler or Gallinari with Melo. The other challenge here is that there simply is not a way under the current CBA for New York to add both Carmelo and Chris Paul barring complete charity from their current teams. Without a meaningful first round pick for a while, the Knicks provide a good situation from a talent perspective, but not the same appeal as the Nets or Wizards.
4. Houston- An interesting destination because they have assets to make a deal that Denver would accept if Carmelo decides to go here. Incidentally, Dallas may have taken themselves out of the running here by moving Erick Dampier’s instantly expiring contract. Back to Houston, they have the combination of talent to both make a deal and still have a very strong team featuring Carmelo as the #1 offensive option. It is legitimately scary to think of how good a combination of Anthony and a healthy Yao Ming could become.
5. Orlando- Only accessible through a sign-and-trade, adding Melo to the Magic would make them an unbelievably good team. The challenges here are figuring out what Denver would value that Orlando can trade (since they have no bad contracts for the Magic to eat) and how exactly Orlando could pay Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, and Carmelo Anthony at the same time.
6. LA Clippers- A team that has both young assets like Eric Gordon and Al-Farouq Aminu and a guy like Chris Kaman who would make some sense in Denver if they want to move in a very different direction long-term. Blake Griffin, Baron Davis, and Melo would be an amazing core, regardless of what the other pieces are around them and could become the team that battles with Oklahoma City and Portland for NBA Finals berths down the road. |
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08/28/10
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Wizards contacted Denver about Carmelo Anthony
Take it for what it's worth, but the Wizards recently made an obligatory call to the Denver Nuggets to check on the availability of all-star forward Carmelo Anthony, a league source said on Friday. The source added that the Wizards were simply doing their due diligence and that the same phone call was made by "29 teams. Carmelo is pretty good."
Multiple Internet reports have made it clear that Anthony is looking to move elsewhere. Anthony will earn $17 million in the final year of his deal, but has stalled all summer to sign a $65 million extension with the Nuggets, the only team for which he has played since going third in the 2003 draft.
The likelihood of Anthony returning to play professionally near his home town of Baltimore is on the shady side of slim. Denver has told league executives that it is seeking a package of expiring contracts, future draft picks and young prospects in any deal for its franchise cornerstone.
Yahoo! Sports reported on Thursday that Anthony made it clear to owner-in-waiting Josh Kroenke that he wants to leave during a meeting last weekend in Baltimore. The New Jersey Nets and Los Angeles Clippers have emerged as the two most probable destinations, with Anthony's wife, LaLa Vasquez, a former MTV personality, seeking to find a better location to pursue her entertainment career. Yahoo! Sports also mentioned Golden State, Houston and Charlotte as possibilities.
The Wizards have no plans of trading No. 1 overall pick John Wall and no large expiring contracts of note, while the Nuggets have no interest in taking back bad contracts, which rules out shipping Gilbert Arenas and the four years and $80 million left on his deal. If the Wizards were to assemble an attractive package of young players -- excluding Wall -- there likely wouldn't be a team with enough remaining talent to encourage Anthony to sign an extension in Washington.
"I really don't think they know what they are going to do yet," the source said of the Nuggets.
Masai Ujiri was introduced as the Nuggets' executive vice president of basketball operations on Friday and told the Denver Post that he does not want to trade Anthony and would like to meet with him. "I love Melo," Ujiri told the newspaper. "Carmelo is the Denver Nuggets, he's the city of Denver, he's done so well on this team. So we're going to deal with the issue full force."
Ujiri, a former member of the Nuggets scouting department who recently worked for the Toronto Raptors, added that he intends on keeping Anthony in Denver for years to come. "He's a superstar in the league, and that's our priority. We want to keep Melo. We love Melo. That's all I can say."
The Wizards are in the midst of rebuilding around Wall, which kept them from entering the free agency frenzy for LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and others this summer. But while Anthony is an established superstar, he is relatively young at age 26. The three-time all-star is one of the more prolific scorers in the league, with a career average of 24.7 points.
The Nuggets have been in disarray this offseason with the organization deciding not to renew the contracts of vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentein and vice president of player personnel Rex Chapman earlier this month. David Griffin, their first choice take over as general manager, declined the job in a dispute over money. Coach George Karl is also recovering from cancer. And, after getting approval to purchase the St. Louis Rams this week, owner Stan Kroenke was forced to hand over the Nuggets and the NHL's Avalanche to his 30-year-old son, Josh.
Speculation that Anthony wanted out of Denver began to swirl shortly after Chris Paul reportedly made a toast during Anthony's wedding last July about forming a super team with Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire with the New York Knicks. Anthony has done little since then to quash the momentum of his possible departure. |
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GM: Keeping Melo My Top Priority
The Nuggets' new general manager, Masai Ujiri, told The Associated Press Friday night that his top priority is to try to keep Carmelo Anthony in Denver.
"Of course, that's going to be the priority," Ujiri said. "Melo is a great player, I think arguably a top-5 player in the NBA. ... It's a challenge, but I'll meet with Melo at some point. He's in China and he'll come back in the next couple of days. So, we'll set something up."
Ujiri understands that Anthony faces a major decision.
"I think that Melo maybe sometimes he goes through this in his mind and says, 'Should I stay? Should I go?' That's natural with somebody of his caliber and obviously sometimes he'll have his frustrations," Ujiri said. "But we love Melo. The city loves Melo. The players, the coaches."
Ujiri's previous position in Toronto exposed him to a similar predicament where the team's marquee player did not sign the extension offered him.
"I just came from the Chris Bosh situation with the Toronto Raptors, so I can relate to how difficult it is on both sides," Ujiri said. "Obviously with management, with coaching, with the player himself." |
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08/30/10
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So where do we stand with Carmelo Anthony?
News about Carmelo Anthony's potential departure from Denver started coming out about a month ago. First it was Ken Berger's report saying Melo wanted to play in New York. Then Ric Bucher of ESPN informed the world that Melo was pretty much a lock to be moved. Everything cooled a bit, but then Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! came along to shake the tree once again.
All signs (and news) points to Anthony leaving Denver. But that doesn't mean that new general manager Masai Ujiri isn't going to try and pull a Dell Demps and salvage the relationship. Nuggets executive Josh Kroenke already had a meeting with Melo, but Wojnarowski reported it didn't go that great. Now Ujiri will meet with Anthony and try and convince him of the Nuggets plan. This goes against Wojnarowski's report that said Denver was basically finished talking to Anthony. But then again, it might just be a front by the Nuggets to put on the appearance that they're desperately trying to keep Melo.
"I love Melo," Ujiri told The Denver Post . "I grew up in this league with Melo, kind of. It was my first years in the league, and I watched him grow. The Denver Nuggets want to keep Melo, and that's our priority. Carmelo is the Denver Nuggets, he's the city of Denver. He's done so well on this team. So we're going to deal with the issue full force."
Ujiri will have to sell Anthony on the chance to win. He can't convince him that he can maximize marketing in Denver. He can't convince him that his profile will rise. He can't convince him that his wife will get to be closer to bright lights. He can't convince him of a lot of things. But he does have the ability to tell Anthony that the Nuggets are good enough to win now and that he has plan to make them better. But Melo doesn't want to test free agency because he'll likely lose millions because of the new CBA and if he had interest in staying with Denver, he'd have signed that three-year extension weeks ago.
So it comes to down to Ujiri's pitch and if that doesn't work, then it's off to finding a suitor. Whether that's now or later, the Nuggets have the most leverage by making a move sooner than later. And one interesting thing to go with this: As John Hollinger of ESPN mentioned, if Denver trades Anthony, there's really no point in them hanging on to Chauncey Billups in his last year of a contract either. Which of course makes this whole thing so much more intriguing.
A lot of teams are popping up as destinations for Anthony, with some making a lot more sense than others. Sam Amico of NBA.com reports that three teams lead the pack for the Nuggets right now and that's the Timberwolves, Kings and Nets. But the biggest key in a deal for any team willing to give away assets to get Anthony is if he's willing to sign an immediate extension with his new team. And other than the Nets, those teams haven't really been a prime location for Anthony, if we're to believe the multiple reports out about where he prefers to sign.
Right now, the Rockets, Knicks, Magic, Hornets, Clippers, Bobcats, Timberwolves, Kings, Nets and Warriors have all been mentioned. In other words, basically one-third of the league. And of course, there's always the possibility that Anthony will stay with Denver. I think the serious contenders here are the Rockets, Magic, Knicks, Clippers and Nets. But that's just my own personal inclination.
While the Bobcats have the Jordan connection, the Warriors have nice assets to offer, the Wolves have picks, the Hornets have the draw of Chris Paul and the Kings have, well, I'm not really sure, I think you can eliminate them all. Anthony is going to go somewhere he's happy with and I can't see one of those destinations making sense for him, especially with all the hassle he's going through getting out of Denver.
Anthony is almost assuredly headed out of the Rockies. But that's not stopping Ujiri from trying to salvage the situation at the eleventh hour. It's unlikely he can convince Anthony to stay, but you definitely can't blame him for the effort. |
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Last edited by Streets; 08-30-2010 at 03:33 PM.
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08-28-2010, 12:08 AM
