I Called It!

It’s a shame that two posts in a row will be about Carmelo, but it is necessary. He has just negotiated a contract with the Knicks and I’d be more than happy to walk you through the intricacies of what is no doubt a pretty complicated deal.
After analyzing the update from realgm.com (and reading it about seven times) it appears to look like this:
The Nuggets Give:Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter and Renaldo Balkman
The Nuggets Get:Timofey Mozgov (I don’t know who that is either), Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler, New York’s first round pick in 2014, two of Golden State’s future second round picks and some cash
The Knicks Give: Timofey Mozgov, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler, a first round pick, Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry’s contract to Minnesota
The Knicks Get:Carmelo Anthony , Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter and Corey Brewer
The Timberwolves Give: Corey Brewer
The Timberwolves Get:Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry’s expiring contract
To me it seems like New York really gave up a lot to get Carmelo. Gallinari, Chandler and Raymond Felton are all playing really well and have a lot of potential, but if you want Melo you have to give up a lot and the fact that they’re also getting Chauncey Billups really makes this seem like a win-win situation, especially considering Denver is having their franchise player leave them. Carmelo was going to leave, which the Denver front office eventually accepted, and because of it the team won’t be completely barren like Cleveland was after LeBron left. Even the Timberwolves won a little bit by trading up from Corey Brewer to Anthony Randolph just by paying out Eddy Curry’s contract. I’m very excited to see Carmelo on the Knicks with Amare and Chauncey and I think they have a very good shot at the Eastern Conference finals this year.

I Won't Call This Post "Melo Drama"

When trying to decide what the big NBA story is this morning, I realize that it is already February and that can only mean one thing. As the trade deadline quickly approaches, some superstar must be in the middle of several rumored, blockbuster deals. This season the star in the spotlight is Carmelo Anthony and the proposed deals are numerous, complicated and of course, still rumors. Let’s outline the most intriguing possibilities being thrown around:
L.A. Lakers: It has recently been proposed that the Lakers are the frontrunner in acquiring Melo. Although Ron Artest has been reportedly asking for a trade out of Los Angeles, the proposal has the Lakers giving up Andrew Bynum instead. To me this trade seems unlikely. Even though the Lakers haven’t been as dominant this year as people expected, giving up a 7-footer to acquire another long-distance, rapid-fire scorer to play next to Kobe doesn’t exactly set the Lakers up for an easy road to a championship. In any case it is reported that Carmelo intends on playing for the Knicks in the ’11-’12 season, so any deal with the Lakers would probably just be for the remainder of this year.
New Jersey Nets: Early on last summer, when Dwyane Wade, LeBron and Chris Bosh were among the All-Star players who had to make big decisions about their contracts, the Nets were seemingly one of the frontrunners to acquire a franchise superstar. Again the Nets are in the discussion as a possible home for Carmelo for the same reason they might have gotten LeBron back in July, they have a lot of money and really, really need a good player. Carmelo seems a little too smart to pick a team based simply on the money he could make and in the modern sports era where players are constantly thinking about their lasting legacy, Melo must want to play somewhere he can win a title. That place is not New Jersey.
New York Knicks: The Knicks are the strongest candidate for Carmelo’s new home and have been since before this season even started. They are playing well, the Nuggets would be able to send him away to the Eastern Conference and there has even been a fairly feasible three team trade proposed. The Knicks would acquire Carmelo Anthony, while sending Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry (who luckily has an expiring contract) to the Timberwolves and Wilson Chandler to the Nuggets, who would also get a first round pick and Corey Brewer from Minnesota. Furthermore, Carmelo would be a great piece for New York (where he’s already won a national championship with Syracuse) adding a slasher and three-point threat to the already lethal combo of Stoudemire and Felton that could take the East by storm.
Denver Nuggets: Let’s not forget that it is quite possible a deal won’t work out in the next two weeks and Carmelo could stay in Denver, at least for the rest of the season. Luckily it seems like both sides are dealing with this situation cordially and both sides have been continuing with business as usual in the NBA.
One of the great things about the NBA is how drastically a single player can affect the outcome of a game, a season and even a franchise which is why professional basketball is the most exciting sport in February. Hopefully we will be seeing Carmelo on the move, giving a new look to a franchise and creating a new NBA powerhouse in the process.