Carmelo Anthony Thread (Denver Finalizes Deal With Knicks)

[NyCeEvO]

Take it for what you will but THE RUSSIAN EAGLE HAS LANDED!! (....much to our chagrin)

Mikhail Prokhorov and Nets have permission from Denver Nuggets to meet with Carmelo Anthony

BY Mitch Lawrence
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Wednesday, January 19th 2011, 4:00 AM


Mikhail Prokhorov won't have Carmelo Anthony in tow, as he had hoped, when the new Nets owner attends Wednesday night's game against the Jazz in Newark.

Prokhorov and the Nets' bid to get Anthony in a trade before the Feb. 24 deadline remains on hold. But Denver has OK'd a meeting between the Nets and the Nuggets superstar and that could lead the way to a three-team deal that has been in various stages of negotiations for the past few weeks.

If the meeting hasn't already taken place, then it's supposed to happen over the next few days, according to league sources. The Nets and Prokhorov's PR people had no comment on the time frame for the meeting.

During the meeting, Prokhorov and others, including minority owner Jay-Z, want to find out if Anthony wants to sign long-term with the Nets, while Anthony is expected to press the Nets about their strategy for building a championship contender once they have him on board.

Contrary to reports, the NBA did not have to OK the meeting, since this is similar to when teams approve having agents for players "explore" possible trades with other teams.

While the Nets are still hopeful that Anthony will give Prokhorov the answer he wants to hear by saying he'll make a long-term commitment to New Jersey, the Nuggets are still not in any rush to trade their superstar, with the trading deadline still five weeks away.

The Nets wanted to have Anthony in the fold by now, but coach Avery Johnson told reporters last weekend that he didn't expect the deal featuring the Nets, Nuggets and Pistons to be completed this week.

"There's no indication that they're ready to deal Carmelo," said one league source who spoke with Denver executives over the last two days.

Anthony didn't speak to the media following Nuggets practice Tuesday.

Prokhorov is expected to update reporters on the Anthony trade situation before the game.

If the Nets fail in their bid to get Anthony, the kind of superstar Prokhorov wants playing in Brooklyn, Net fans might get to see their future small forward, anyway. The Jazz's Andrei Kirilenko is a free agent this summer and knows Prokhorov well enough that the two have dinner in Russia when Kirilenko goes home every summer. According to Nets sources, Kirilenko is on the team's radar as a potential player and front-office official.

But with the Knicks turning things around behind Amar'e Stoudemire, Prokhorov wants Anthony, first and foremost, to help revive the Nets' fortunes.

There is growing speculation that even if the Nets can't get Anthony to agree to a long-term commitment, Prokhorov will still agree to a trade, on a reduced scale, to at least get Anthony for part of the season in hopes that they can convince him to stay.

1) We need to watch the interviews with Proky tonight to see what's going on. To me, it doesn't make sense to talk to reporters about this situation because if he talks about Melo as a Net, he could cross the line into tampering.

2) I'm sure the Mitch Lawrence just made this up but what do you guys think of having Melo as a rental. It would be a reduced price but what do we have that would entice Denver to give Melo to us over teams that would take him as a rental?

[Preludepunk27]

I'm actually totally fine with Melo as a rental. The reasoning there is that Billy King will get stingy and not give up nearly as much. That may be wishful thinking based on how horrible negotiations are going, but the best they'd get as a rental would be a slew of expirings and a pick, maybe a 2nd if they are one of our weaker picks.

Problem there is that if we go that route or Denver explores that with other teams like Houston or Dallas, it helps New York's chances. Making Melo a rental won't get you a premium or possibly even dollar-for-dollar value. They know Melo would sign the extension with Denver so New Yorks offer of Curry/Gallo/Chandler/pick from Minny via Utah (if they get it) actually would be the best deal they could get at that point. No team looking to rent Melo would give that up even if that acquiring team thought they could convice Melo to resign with them in the offseason.

Best you'd get from me if Melo is a rental would be:

Murphy/Hump/Ross/Morrow/Pick for Melo/Nene. Nene has a player option you know he's gonna pick up. This gives the Nuggets close to $17 mill in savings after the season roughly, a 3pt shooter on a decent contract so they can cut ties with Jr Smith and a pick. I really wouldn't even offer them James. I would include him if that gets the deal done, but no way is Favors or even Harris getting shipped out if we don't have a signed extension in hand for Melo.

Some may be willing to give up more in that instance, but no deal we offer that is logical (not that King has been logical as of today) would look better than the Knicks offer if we are discussing Melo as a rental.



****Edit****

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachi ... Id=46t2akp

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachi ... Id=488k5jx (If we HAVE to take Al)

As you can see, if Melo doesn't agree to an extension, they're not getting much

[Preludepunk27]

Quick Question:

I know all the reports are saying the Nuggets are dragging their feet for a 3rd pick and to also improve the chances of the Nets 2011 pick being better, but has anyone thought about this:

Could Melo be bluffing that he won't sign an extension with the Nets? I know knick fans and some other people will think I'm nuts, but if we traded for Melo as a rental, we're not giving up nearly as much for him. The Nuggets are not happy with how Melo has been since the summer and may spite him. Yeah if we're talking about a rental, Knicks may be able to come up with a better deal since they're willing to give up more because they know he'd sign an extension with them.

The thing is which a lot of writers don't mention is that the Nuggets DON'T want to trade him to New York unless the deal is retardedly better than what they can get from another team. Why would they want to make Melo happy after?

Again, I'm reaching, but Leon Rose has his hands on this. What if Melo likes Devin, likes Derrick and thinks adding him with those 2, Lopez and more picks is something he wants to build on? What if he's fine signing the extension with the Nets if they retained certain people. Even if he wasn't high on Devin, he's obviously coveted by a number of teams. We could then spin Devin in a 3-team deal with Det and either Portland or Dallas and get Rip her if Leon is dying for that. Not that I want Rip, but I'm just curious. Could Leon be blowing smoke on the situation to push a lesser "rental version" of the deal soon and once Melo is a Net, he signs the extension before the deadline?



I may be way off base, but Leon and World Wide Wes are sketchy. I can see it coming to that.

I'm sure some of you as well as knick fans would think I'm a short bus kid, and I don't totally think this could happen, but we keep rehashing the same stuff so I'm trying to look at different things to bring life to the situation.

[isekii]

I'm so sick of all of Denvers antics. I really hope this trade doesn't go through.
We can trade Tmurphy, Dharris etc.. all seperately.

[Preludepunk27]

^^^^

Same here. We have players people obviously want. What Billy King needs to take a page out of Thorn's playbook. Make Denver think we're ok with walking. Denver would not just be like "ok screw you" and call New York immediately because it's been written countless times they like Favors's upside more than any player offered by the Knicks. We need to start calling other teams about Murphy's expring and Harris. I'm honestly willing to take the chance of Denver moving him to the Knicks in haste.

Bottom line is, no matter how much Billy is getting pressured by upper management, he needs to take control of the situation first and foremost. Even if it costs him his job in the end, that should be top priority rather than just getting a deal done any way possible. It's not like he couldn't get another job. Go down like a man is all I'm saying. If he grows a pair and we lose our on Melo, I actually would be fine and actually respect King more.

[vincecarter4pres]

Wouldn't trade for Melo with no extension unless its some type of wink wink deal like Prelude mentioned.

He goes to the Knix in the offseason you now have a tremendous amount of egg on your face and you ruined draft position, plus you're still looking at multiple first rounders even for a rental, because other teams like the Rockets and Dallas will offer the same, if not better.

[NyCeEvO]

Bottom line is, no matter how much Billy is getting pressured by upper management, he needs to take control of the situation first and foremost. Even if it costs him his job in the end, that should be top priority rather than just getting a deal done any way possible. It's not like he couldn't get another job. Go down like a man is all I'm saying. If he grows a pair and we lose our on Melo, I actually would be fine and actually respect King more.

I understand what you're saying but I think it's too idealistic. This isn't like Billy is making a major moral decision and if he doesn't do it, he'll be deemed a saint. Of course, we would all like for him to take a stand but he can't. He can only make a suggestion. Any more than that and he'll get fired or seriously reprimanded. As much as people in the NBA would respect King for not making the deal, no one is going to hire him just out of sympathy. He wouldn't get a job at least until next year and with the lockout coming, probably longer. He's not here to appease the fans, he's here to make the Nets better but he can only do so if he has a job. Just think about it, if you stood up to your boss on a major decision, what's going to happen? And with the mob on Proky's side, losing the GM job would be the least of King's concerns.

[Netaman]

so what does everyone think happens tonight? Got to think Prokhorov would love to declare to the world that he bagged the 800 pound buck. Is there any way that's practical being that we would be left with 5 players to play tonight?

He can't possibly go up there and simply offer up vague denials, and if he was Avery most certainly would have marching orders to set the tone and not tee Prokhy up to let everyone down.

http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/inthezzone/comments/avery_prokhorov_will_shed_light_on_things/

Prokhorov has to say something, tell the fans what’s the latest because there is too much out there and a resolution is needed. There also hasn’t been enough talking from any of the sides to the media.

The fans need to hear something because they’re getting their hopes up, feeling down, frustrated, slighted, annoyed at the constant rumors, reports, new developments and contradictions.

This, too, has to bother the Nets and Nuggets, who are working hard behind the scenes to get something done.

So it’s good Prokhorov is here to say something, let everyone know something. We could all speculate and guess what he’s going to say, but we’ll all know for sure in several hours.

[vincecarter4pres]

I don't think he's going to say much, he doesn't want to paint himself any further into a corner and a lot of what we'd like to hear as answers would likely be considered tampering.

[Jersey Generals]

He should just shut up, and not make any stupid proclamations, to be honest. His idiotic bravado is the reason why he has to trade the entire roster for Carmelo.

[NyCeEvO]

Ok, I don't know why people continue to suggest that a package based on Curry/Gallo/Chandler/pick would really entice the Nuggets. It makes no sense for them.

1) Curry is an expiring. Murphy is an expiring. The Nuggets don't want to add salary for this season, which is why Murphy is not included in the present deal. They want cap relief. It makes no sense to take Curry.

2) Chandler is a restricted free agent at the end of the season. If the Nuggets acquire him, it's just a smaller version of the Melo situation. If they want to keep him, they would have to present him with a new contract and the way he's been playing this season, would dictate that he would be handsomely rewarded. Again, the Nuggets don't want to add a big salary. Chandler could easily command more than what Harrington gets and look at how bad they want to get rid of Harrington.

3) Pick. Uh, any 1st round pick that the Knicks will get for Randolph won't be a lottery pick. What non-playoff bound team in their right mind would give up their lottery pick for Anthony Randolph? None. Therefore, their pick would most likely be from the bottom of the first round. Even, we have better picks than that.

4) Gallo is a nice player but are you really going to make a deal in which you're giving up Melo, adding to your present salary, forcing yourself to either pay big bucks to keep Chandler next year or lose him completely (which is basically making him a rental player), just to add Gallo to your team? It makes little sense. When you break down the deal, it's really crappy and the only think Denver gets out of it is, Gallo who will be a restricted free agent after next season.

Basically, all components of this deal are pretty bad for Denver in almost every way. Even offering this for Melo as a rental would entice me very little if I was Denver.

[NyCeEvO]

I don't think he's going to say much, he doesn't want to paint himself any further into a corner and a lot of what we'd like to hear as answers would likely be considered tampering.

Agreed.

[Jersey Generals]

Gallo is good, albeit a bit injury prone and inconsistent. Any deal that the Nets make as a rental player, they'd have to throw in the GSW's pick just to match Gallo in that deal. Otherwise, they'd be hard pressed to match without giving up too much where it becomes stupid to rent Carmelo.

And as for Curry, I'm sure Knick fans will be coming in to say that Curry's contract is already half paid in advance, so the Nuggets would be only paying about a 3rd of Curry's contract if the Knicks also throw in 3 million. I'm sure the Nets would be willing to do that with Murphy's contract, as well though.

[Brenice]

You know what I find funny , pawns. Like in what they want, doesn't matter. It is all about what Melo wants. Melo wants to play with this or play in this area. Who says Galinari or Favors, etc., wants to leave New York or Jersey. Do they have a say in the matter? The Nuggets are pawns too. Like Cleveland last year. You either trade me for unknowns or young players, or else "I'm taking my game to Miami". A team can bend over backwards for LeBron(Cavs) or Melo(Nuggets), build around that player. Spend money and acquire Shaq/Jamison(Cavs) or Iverson/Billups(Nuggets), trying to keep the primadonna(LeBron/Melo) happy, but the primadonna wants to player poker only after being dealt a royal flush(LeBron chose Miami only after Bosh showed his cards as "All In" Miami. So know, Melo is jocking New York/or Jersey. New York, Amare showed his cards in New York. Jersey has a bunch of queens and kings to deal(lottery picks or young lottery draftees) to deal for Melo. You think Melo wouldn't go to Jersey unless another Ace(CP3 is watching) is ready to follow suit.

[Preludepunk27]

I kind of wish we had Rod Thorn back right now. 90% of what is going on would never be in the press right now. I always loved how Thorn's deals would be touched on lightly one day, then he'd deny them...3 weeks later after you start forgetting about it you get slapped BAM in the face with a deal. Besides JKidd's departure (really thanks to Stackhouse's big mouth though) most of Thorn's deals were like this.

[NyCeEvO]

You know what I find funny , pawns. Like in what they want, doesn't matter. It is all about what Melo wants. Melo wants to play with this or play in this area. Who says Galinari or Favors, etc., wants to leave New York or Jersey. Do they have a say in the matter? The Nuggets are pawns too. Like Cleveland last year. You either trade me for unknowns or young players, or else "I'm taking my game to Miami". A team can bend over backwards for LeBron(Cavs) or Melo(Nuggets), build around that player. Spend money and acquire Shaq/Jamison(Cavs) or Iverson/Billups(Nuggets), trying to keep the primadonna(LeBron/Melo) happy, but the primadonna wants to player poker only after being dealt a royal flush(LeBron chose Miami only after Bosh showed his cards as "All In" Miami. So know, Melo is jocking New York/or Jersey. New York, Amare showed his cards in New York. Jersey has a bunch of queens and kings to deal(lottery picks or young lottery draftees) to deal for Melo. You think Melo wouldn't go to Jersey unless another Ace(CP3 is watching) is ready to follow suit.

Unfortunately, stars (or primadonnas as you say) rule the league and win championships. Very rarely do you find a team that doesn't have at least one star and wins the championship.

[JoseRizal]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=a ... ulls011911

This is getting ridiculous...

[jamrock1975]

"If there's anything he needed to talk to me about, the lines of communication are open," Anthony said of Ujiri. "Same thing with Josh -- we had some great conversations. We sit and talk often."

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."

"What am I going to meet with (Nets majority owner Mikhail Prokhorov) for?'' Anthony said

"I don't know where all this Nets stuff came from, man,'' Anthony said Saturday. "Once the Nets went out there and acquired those five picks (in the first round over the next two years), everybody just put everything together. ... From what I'm hearing, nothing is imminent right now. That's just what I'm hearing.''

if you read the first part which is the sports illustrated article and then read the fanhouse article about meeting with the nets and where this nets stuff came from New jersey is not somewhere he will be going. There are not even a consideration in regards to what him and Josh and Ujiri have talked about. Chicago is back in the picture because the Knicks and Chicago were the original two teams he allegedly stated he would sign an extension with.

[NyCeEvO]

I kind of wish we had Rod Thorn back right now. 90% of what is going on would never be in the press right now. I always loved how Thorn's deals would be touched on lightly one day, then he'd deny them...3 weeks later after you start forgetting about it you get slapped BAM in the face with a deal. Besides JKidd's departure (really thanks to Stackhouse's big mouth though) most of Thorn's deals were like this.

Well, having Thorn = no Prokhorov. Remember, we found that the problem in this is not really King. We honestly don't know what King would act like if Proky wasn't trying to run the show. I wouldn't mind seeing if and how Billy has actually changed without Proky trying to play him like marionette.

[enetric]

I'm actually totally fine with Melo as a rental. The reasoning there is that Billy King will get stingy and not give up nearly as much. That may be wishful thinking based on how horrible negotiations are going, but the best they'd get as a rental would be a slew of expirings and a pick, maybe a 2nd if they are one of our weaker picks.

Problem there is that if we go that route or Denver explores that with other teams like Houston or Dallas, it helps New York's chances. Making Melo a rental won't get you a premium or possibly even dollar-for-dollar value. They know Melo would sign the extension with Denver so New Yorks offer of Curry/Gallo/Chandler/pick from Minny via Utah (if they get it) actually would be the best deal they could get at that point. No team looking to rent Melo would give that up even if that acquiring team thought they could convice Melo to resign with them in the offseason.

Best you'd get from me if Melo is a rental would be:

Murphy/Hump/Ross/Morrow/Pick for Melo/Nene. Nene has a player option you know he's gonna pick up. This gives the Nuggets close to $17 mill in savings after the season roughly, a 3pt shooter on a decent contract so they can cut ties with Jr Smith and a pick. I really wouldn't even offer them James. I would include him if that gets the deal done, but no way is Favors or even Harris getting shipped out if we don't have a signed extension in hand for Melo.

Some may be willing to give up more in that instance, but no deal we offer that is logical (not that King has been logical as of today) would look better than the Knicks offer if we are discussing Melo as a rental.



****Edit****

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachi ... Id=46t2akp

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachi ... Id=488k5jx (If we HAVE to take Al)

As you can see, if Melo doesn't agree to an extension, they're not getting much

Will you be fine with the rental if he turns crosses the river and signs a deal with Knicks in July? I am not. I dont care if its one pick and Troy. Not intested in playing that game. Once the extension is gone ou have no idea what contracts are going to look like July 1st with the CBA issue out there. Not good for Melo...but that deal wouldnt be great for us either. Now...I dont love the idea of paying Melo 80 mil over the next 4 years either. But...I really dont see how we keep him if we have no leverage with him.

There is little to like about this situation no matter how it goes down.