Will Denver budge and trade 'Melo to New York now that New Jersey pulled out?
Sigh …
I feel bad for Carmelo Anthony, I really do. He doesn’t want to screw Denver over , but he also wants to do what he wants to do. He’s human after all.
Sounds kind of like what LeBron James faced in Cleveland last summer, but perhaps not as bad. And at the end of the day, just like LeBron, Anthony is going to get what he wants.
Granted, Nets’ owner Mikhail Prokhorov might have made it a lot easier for ‘Melo today after he announced New Jersey, the Nuggets’ preferred destination for Anthony, would stop chasing the All-Star forward.
“It has taken too long,” Prokhorov said. “It has been played out in public and it certainly has taken a toll on the players and I believe that it has cost us several games.” (I guess the Melo drama isn’t bothering Brook Lopez, who dropped 35 on the Lakers on Friday).
Denver wanted the Situation’s home city in the deal because it offered them the best assets available in a trade: a young, exciting point guard in Devin Harris, an even younger forward with plenty of upside in rookie Derrick Favors and at least two first-round draft picks. Christmas in January, indeed.
But the “problematic” Melo didn’t want to go to the second-worst team in the Eastern Conference (only Cleveland is worse – Thanks, LeBron) despite reports that had him landing there with declining shooting guard Rip Hamilton and Nugget teammate Chauncey Billups, who would have seeked a buyout had the deal gone through, according to his agent.
The nerve of Melo.
So now it’s back to plan B for Denver. They have to trade him to New York, Anthony’s preferred destination all along. Sure, names like Danilo Gallinari and Landry Fields don’t sound as sweet, but they’re certainly not bad prospects either. They’re both double-figure scorers, and Fields is just a rookie. It’s a win-win situation.
Either that, or let Carmelo’s contract run out and get nothing in return. Anthony will also certainly lose money once the NBA comes up with its new collective bargaining agreement. Lose-lose situation.
There’s no smart way but Gate C to the Big Apple. Time to let go, Denver. And please don’t burn Carmelo jerseys after this gets done. I want to believe you’re better than that.
P.S. Watch New Orleans lose a couple of games in a row and how Chris Paul bails. I’m telling you, these All-Star triumvirates will be the cool thing to do. Thanks, LeBron.