Poll: What Would Melo Do If Denver Called His Bluff

[ELCIDz]

Lebron never wanted to play here tho, thats the difference

Thats not what he told this guy

[Die93]

Lebron never wanted to play here tho, thats the difference

Thats not what he told this guy

im not gonna front i lol'd

[AmareNY]

Why does he have to sign with New York? He can sign with ANY team with cap room. Denver has has handeled this situation as bad as it ca, So it would not suprise me, that he will walk away for nothing.

oh tahts right...we should have taken the first deal and given melo away for very little.

THAT would have been handling it the best.

@ knick fans.

Your right just let him leave as a free agent at the end of the season for NOTHING!

Just so you know, he keeps refusing to sign a contract to stay in Denver, how many times does he have to tell the GM and Owner no thanks! If they where smart [they are not] they trade him to the Nets, before they lose all interest in Melo.

[dznutzz]

denver can use the threat of the new bargaining agreement.... letting anthony know he'll make a lot less. but then again they alrady have a lot...

[Trader_Joe]

It's not a fact though (as far as anyone here knows anyway). Just like nothing is "clear", as I've read repeatedly. It's just conjecture and speculation.

Of course not, mainly because he would be fined if he said he was going to NY and risk there be some sort of tampering charge or investigation.

Thus we are only left to go by his words and actions.

He said he wants to keep his options open.
He hasn't signed an extension that has been on the table since last summer.
Denver has not traded him to a team offering him a great return (NJ) nor anywhere.

I read somewhere on the Denver Stiffs blog where someone speculates there may be a handshake deal in place closer to the trade deadline between the two teams (Denver waiting to keep attendance up, make a last ditch effort to extend Melo, make a last ditch effort to get him to extend elsewhere or trade him un-extended for a better offer).

I can see it.

I think of one the following happens:
a. He goes to NY for Curry, AR and (Gallo or Fields)
b. He goes to NJ for Murphy, Favors, 2 1st rounders

However I only see option B happening, if it's within the next two weeks (before NJ's season is completely lost) and NJ is also able to land significant talent either at the same time or prior to landing Melo.

[MaceCase]

He's gonna do what SJax did, take the money then bitch and act up and talk about him being misunderstood and wanting to win and try to force Denver to finally trade him.

[Trader_Joe]

He's gonna do what SJax did, take the money then bitch and act up and talk about him being misunderstood and wanting to win and try to force Denver to finally trade him.

That might not be a bad option for Denver.
Even if he is unhappy, they would be able to trade him starting in the summer with 4 more years left on his contract. Then it becomes an open market bidding war.

Of course, the other option is he refuses to sign even after the trade deadline and forces his way to NY.

[Dr Aki]

dudes a marquee player. dudes getting paid regardless and then make it back up in endorsements

[corona]

<---wondering what would happen if stoudemire hurt his knee before february 24th, and it was announced he needed another microfracture. would melo & his people still be pushing to go to NY?

[elbowthrower]

But, corona, it's clear that that's where he wants to go. To be where he grew up. To play under the bright lights at MSG. To make Lala happy and fist bump with Spike Lee. It's a fact. Haven't you heard?

Of course he'd throw away lots of money to play for a winning team for all of that. It's a fact!

[Trader_Joe]

<---wondering what would happen if stoudemire hurt his knee before february 24th, and it was announced he needed another microfracture. would melo & his people still be pushing to go to NY?

Why are you wondering that? What are the odds of that even happening?

[Trader_Joe]

But, corona, it's clear that that's where he wants to go. To be where he grew up. To play under the bright lights at MSG. To make Lala happy and fist bump with Spike Lee. It's a fact. Haven't you heard?

Of course he'd throw away lots of money to play for a winning team for all of that. It's a fact!

So why hasn't he extended with a team who:

Can give him the extension today (and has been able to for month)?
Is a better team than NY?
Has a chance to be an elite team in the West when healthy?
Has less competition long term than NY does in the East?

[elbowthrower]

<---wondering what would happen if stoudemire hurt his knee before february 24th, and it was announced he needed another microfracture. would melo & his people still be pushing to go to NY?

Why are you wondering that? What are the odds of that even happening?

Before the 24th the odds are probably slim.

I'd never wish injury on anyone but in the next year or two I'd say the odds of further injury are pretty good.

[Trader_Joe]

Before the 24th the odds are probably slim.

I'd never wish injury on anyone but in the next year or two I'd say the odds of further injury are pretty good.

So don't you think Melo knows this?
And are you thinking he does, and thus he wouldn't want to sign with NY because of this?
Or, are you thinking he doesn't know or care about this?

[corona]

<---wondering what would happen if stoudemire hurt his knee before february 24th, and it was announced he needed another microfracture. would melo & his people still be pushing to go to NY?

Why are you wondering that? What are the odds of that even happening?

5 to 10 in 100, perhaps. it's not that great....but there's a decent chance of another serious injury, and a great chance in the next couple seasons. happened with kenyon martin, happened with greg oden. it's not something i'm cheering for, it's just something that i logically expect based on the history of microfracture in the nba.

So don't you think Melo knows this?
And are you thinking he does, and thus he wouldn't want to sign with NY because of this?
Or, are you thinking he doesn't know or care about this?

that's exactly why i question melo's motives & commitment to leaving. he just spent the last 6.5 years of his career watching kenyon martin go through 2 microfractures, and two other knee surgeries. he can't be that ignorant to think that playing with stoudemire will be nothing but peaches and cream.

[Trader_Joe]

that's exactly why i question melo's motives & commitment to leaving. he just spent the last 6.5 years of his career watching kenyon martin go through 2 microfractures, and two other knee surgeries. he can't be that ignorant to think that playing with stoudemire will be nothing but peaches and cream.

So why hasn't he extended yet?

Clearly he knows how good this Denver team can be.
Playoffs each year, WCF one year.
It's not as though the next couple weeks when the squad is healthy is going to show him anything he didn't know about this team. It's been essentially the same team for years. He knows they can be elite.

Why he should extend:
He can get his money locked up now.
Denver is the better team right now, and probably will be.
The WC is looking easier to get out of long term than the EC.
This drama can end and it would be a huge relief to everyone
The team can start planning it's future
etc...

So why hasn't he?

[devv83]

Denver needs to end this already, I mean cmon on now just trade the guy, the GM really thinks a cpl weeks of winning is gonna make Melo change his mind.

Its getting old. I'm starting to wish that Melo just goes on camera and says trade me now and rejects the extension so uriji can get the hint and trade him.

[corona]

So why hasn't he?

i wish i knew the answer. i'd guess that either he really really really really wants to be in a big city, he's trying to strongarm the FO into making blockbuster trade (for another star) that would keep him (kobe basically did the same thing the year before they got gasol), or he's stupid enough to think that stoudemire will stay healthy and winning in new york will somehow be more likely than winning in denver.

[Trader_Joe]

So why hasn't he?

i wish i knew the answer. i'd guess that either he really really really really wants to be in a big city, he's trying to strongarm the FO into making blockbuster trade (for another star) that would keep him (kobe basically did the same thing the year before they got gasol), or he's stupid enough to think that stoudemire will stay healthy and winning in new york will somehow be more likely than winning in denver.

I don't think he is, but if he is I don't think that's fair to strong arm them into doing anything.
Everything Denver does here on out depends on what Melo does.
Why should they go out and go for a gamble on a trade to appease Melo if he just leaves?

They've already made all those gambles and signings...
Iverson
Billups
Andersen resigned
Harrington
etc..

They've maintained one of the highest payrolls. Clearly they are willing to spend and build around Melo and he knows that.

IMO he's shown playing in NYC is his priority because:
His best chance of winning is in Denver yet he hasn't signed an extension sitting on the table since the summer.

Personally, I think Denver lost their chance to deal with NJ over the last couple of weeks because NJ looks worse and worse and is further out of the playoff race. Melo won't want to go there.

Why they waited is what I don't get.
Did they not like the offer?

[Agenda42]

And held on to him past the trade deadline?

It seems like the endgame here is more or less the same as the Chris Bosh endgame, where Melo decides where he wants to play and the Nuggets get a little something in exchange for Denver agreeing to a sign and trade for Melo.