RIP TO NJ (REAL RUMOR!!!!)

[Piston Pete]

And remember, per their agent, Melo WANTS to play with Rip....

[mercury]

IMO, the Nets could do even better than Melo with the package they are offering.
Lets not forget what a defensive liability Melo is.
The Nets could take any of our top 3 players for that package (as long as Rip is part of the deal).

[Piston Pete]

I must admit....this deal doesn't look like its ever going to be official.

[thesack12]

This deal is decaying more and more every day. It may actually be dead behind closed doors.

There are so many contradicting reports going around. All of the stuff we've read in the last few weeks had highly differing stances. Now having it reported Jersey has been given persmission to speak with Melo, only to have that report denied that permission was ever granted. All of this to me smells like posturing, and Denver is just trying to invent ways to keep this seeming active even with knowing its never going to happen.

If this deal was going to happen, I have to belive it would have been finalized long before now. The only way continuosly dragging feet on this deal makes any sense is from Denver's perspective. I'm starting to think that Melo has privately told Denver's brass he will not sign an extension with Jersey. If thats the case, the last thing Denver would want is for that to be known by anybody outside Melo/Nugget brass circles. If that were to become known, it would absolutely zap whatever leverage Denver may have in this (which is already minimal). Were that to happen, the only team Denver knows it could deal with would be whichever team Melo said he would extend with (NYK.) So in turn Walsh would simply call Denver and says we'll give you Curry/Azubuike/2nd, take it or leave it cuz we are getting Melo this summer regardles. If Melo's intentions continue to remain secret, Denver can still hold hope of New York increasing its offer to make it more attractive.

Otherwise there is no upside at all to continue to drag this thing out. Denver and Jersey players have all been clearly affected by this, and its human nature that they have not been able to fully focus. If this thing continues to perpetuate players will continue to be distracted. Also, the sooner Denver gets their hands on Favors, the better it would be for his development. Also, just in the time this thing has been reported Jersey has taken a serious fall and struggled badly. They are fading rapidly, as is whatever hope they had of making the playoffs. If Melo was actually considering extending with Jersey, every loss racked up will further the chances he declines that extension. Whch in turn means, Denevr would not be getting that sweetheart package. Not to mention Denver has been seriously trying to bleed every last drop from Jersey in this from jump. With ever asset you pluck from Jersey, and every contract u make them take that is not cap friendly, that also decreases Melo's desire to extend with Jersey.

Honestly, Jersey can and should do much better with what they are offering here. They are pretty much cleaning out their cupboard, eating a ton of salary, and evaporating all of their cap flexibility on this proposed deal. IMO Carmelo is not worth all that.

If I'm Jersey I call Denver and say you took too damn long, I don't like the way you are handling this, so I'm pulling the plug. Then look into other more affordable avenues, that may be better in the long run anyways.

[Piston Pete]

If NJ pulls out, they make it public that they are no longer going after Melo....and what Denver can get for him drastically decreases from other teams, including the Knicks.

[thesack12]

^ Exactly, Thats what I am saying.

I'm thinking Denver is just using Jersey here and continue to string them along, because they know they need them active in their negotiations. Reportedly Denver has twice changed what they wanted at the last minute, when a deal was "reportedly" already agreed to and very close to being finalized. Then they start making threats because they claimed negotiations became too public, when in reality they would be benefitting the most from talk being public knowledge (Honestly I think they were the ones leaking info all along). Now it seemed as though Denver permitted Jersey permission to speak to Melo, but not long after it was reported that no such permission has been granted.

If indeed Denver is aware that Melo doesn't want Jersey, the last thing they want is for Jersey to actually speak to Melo. Because that would end Jersey's involvement cuz they would not get a signed extension out of that meeting, and as a result would immediately pull out of this thing.

Its no secret Denver wants Jersey's package, Jersey wants Melo, and Detroit is definitely down. When all teams involved in a trade are getting what they want and feel happy with it, the trade gets finalized rapidly. This thing should have happened long ago, unless the most important factor in all this (Melo extending) has never been in play from jump.

Denver desperately needs Jersey active in this thing, and IMO have just been using the Nets for awhile now.

I may be totally wrong about all this, and/or most or even all of what we have been hearing from jump may have little to no validity. I would actually be happy if I was wrong about the content of my last couple posts here. I love Rip, and he is my favorite player but I want him moved to a better situation. Detroit is a sunken ship and doing him no good right now, and its really quite sad that people are treating him like he's a lepper.

[Cowology]

I think the NJ deal is dead. It looks like Melo will only sign with NY. I hope I'm wrong, but doesn't look good.

But I still think there is a good chance somebody takes Rip before the deadline.

[DetroitPistons]

I don't see how people can say this is dead. denver has flaked repeatedly and even though everyone was saying today was the day i had a hunch things wouldn't go down just yet. remember, there is a ton of factors involved in this deal. its gonna take time. denver has got to trade melo and NJ has the best offer on the table. theres not a whole lot of options left. the only thing that is gonna hold up this deal is carmelo not wanting to sign with NJ.

[bballnmike]

i think the deal is pretty unlikely, but as far as melo's comments about not wanting to talk with anyone, or not having heard about meeting with NJ FO and leaving it all to the Den FO.. i think he will be as pc as possible and just act like nothings happening till its a done deal.

also, the comment about him only wanting to play for new york was taking out of context i think. he said something about it being his dream to play at home in NY, but didnt specify if it was the knicks or in brooklyn.

that being said, i think knicks are more likely now than they were a week ago

[Marvel]

Being a HUGE Rip fan, it's quite disturbing to see the situation he's in right now. I hope Joe can get him out of there, quick fast.

[vege]

Being a HUGE Rip fan, it's quite disturbing to see the situation he's in right now. I hope Joe can get him out of there, quick fast.

His own fault. Joe D will trade him don't worry.

[bstein14]

I wonder if Detroit and Dallas and Denver could work a 3 way.

With Dallas landing Melo, Rip, and Billups. I'm assuming they'd have to give up the expirings of Butler/Chandler/Stevenson + several first rounders and a young player or two.

C:Haywood/Dirk
PF:Dirk/Marion
SF:Prince/Marion/Rip
SG:Rip/Terry/Billups
PG:Billups/Kidd

[Piston Pete]

^^Maybe take out Billups so he can stay in DEN and retire at home....and replace him with Al Harrington.

Dallas gets Melo, Rip, and Harrington.

[Piston Pete]

What are the chances us and the Nets complete our portion of the trade while everyone else waits for DEN/Melo?

If Rip/Summers go to NJ and help them win a couple games, maybe that will help Melo decide to go there as well?

I know, wishful thinking on my part....

[princeofpalace]

NJ should make the trade sans extension.

Who knows, with the new CBA coming maybe it will be much harder for FA to sign w/other teams. Yeah its a huge gamble but Jay Z & The Russian really have no other shot at a superstar player.

[thesack12]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/ian_thomsen/01/18/carmelo/index.html

Would Anthony sign an extension with the Nets if they were able to complete a trade for him? He wouldn't tell me, but he indicated Ujiri knows the answer. "If he wanted to know, he could come and ask me," said Anthony. "There's nothing that's been said in the paper that we haven't talked about already, and there's things that I know and he know that has not gotten out there and that people don't even know about right now."

Read into that however you want to.

[bballnmike]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/ian_thomsen/01/18/carmelo/index.html

there's things that I know and he know that has not gotten out there and that people don't even know about right now."

Read into that however you want to.

clearly that means melo is gonna sign an extension and then we swap him for Rip

[Piston Pete]

Maybe he's talking about Tokyo's Toylet. I know about that....

[bballnmike]

So heres my theory about Melo (figured I'd put it here instead of making a new thread)...
If you read that SI article posted by thesack12 it mentions he is on a 21 day personal fast. i was looking at Melo's twitter and on Jan 9 he said he was starting the 21 day fast. Its probably not a fast for medical reasons otherwise he wouldn't be playing, and the other reason to fast is usually something spiritual like praying or meditating. So doing the math, 21 days from the 9th puts you at around the 30th/31st. So MAYBE he is fasting to meditate on a big decision hmmm? And he plans on deciding by the end of the month or February 1st.

Which could also tie into the "there's things that I know and he know that has not gotten out there and that people don't even know about right now." meaning he knows he has picked the end of the month as a deadline to decide about the nets. Hows that for reading way too much into a quote

*end crazy 3:00am theory*

[Piston Pete]

After all the hoopla, the WT says the Nuggets/Nets can't agree on the framework of the deal.