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To me, this is like him basically asking out of denver. They simply cannot give him an extension at this age and how their team has played since he joined them. I dont believe their team is going anywhere as currently built and they need to make drastic changes, and extending AI (who is a great player) will only be a setback and will prohibit them from any progress and will assure mediocrity.

I think they need to get younger, so trade AI for some picks and expirings and find a real pg to play with melo

How do you think it plays out?

Trade AI for McGrady.

Yes they can, it can be a Vince Carter-like extension that pays him less at first, but more in the long run. This would provide some luxury tax relief and give the organization a bit more flexibility. This has been something that has been rumored as early as last year.

Now whether or not Denver should bite is something entirely different.

He's done pretty poorly in the playoffs in consecutive seasons now, I'm not entirely convinced that he's really worth it in terms of Denver's potential for success. I definitely think picks and expirings would be a lot more valuable to the Nuggets at this point.

i think they should let ai walk.

Don't know how to work it in order to make salaries match, but AI to Detroit for Chauncey and filler?

Not that it would ever happen, but it definitely benefits both teams. Billups gets to go home and gives the Nuggets a true, top tier point guard to pull their offense together. Iverson gives the Pistons a point guard who can be the featured scorer when the rest of the team is cold. They'd benefit more from that than from a distributor who can't create his own shot as effectively anymore.

tsherkin wrote:He's done pretty poorly in the playoffs in consecutive seasons now, I'm not entirely convinced that he's really worth it in terms of Denver's potential for success. I definitely think picks and expirings would be a lot more valuable to the Nuggets at this point.

I think Melo did worse. Yeah you can say he is still young, but he just fails as a leader. If I were Denver fans, I would be really sad to see my team's future laying on this guy's hand. Hopefully he can prove me wrong.

Otherwise, I say trade them both and start over again. Don't repeat the mistakes of T-wolves. If you can't get out of the first round for like consecutive 4 or 5 years, it's time for a change.

Denver just needs a hard nosed coach with X's and O's. They shouldn't give up on the AI & Melo experiment just yet. Most teams would kill for their caliber of players. Get a new system in and a new coach that the team respects and fears. And then evaluate after.

Denver needs a TRUE point guard who can run the offense properly and throw up some nasty lobs to the high flying bigs on the team

Also the Nuggets could use some more depth off the bench. Kleiza has been excellent and I think he'll continue to improve.

JR Smith disappoints me, it seems his work ethic is minimal, yet he has so many tools.

Denver should hope AI opts out, or that they can trade him. He's a great player but doesn't fit well with the team they have.

Giving up on Melo at this point is premature. He had a bad playoff series but the AI experiment has hurt his growth more than helped this year.

He doesn't fit with Denver this experiment just did not work out. Time for both of them to move on

so what teams would be interested in AI? i'm thinking someone will give him 4 yrs/60-65 million.

Raptors might be the only team to trade for him....

Manocad wrote:Don't know how to work it in order to make salaries match, but AI to Detroit for Chauncey and filler?

That deal would require AI for Billups and McDyess. Frankly, I think the Pistons get screwed. You end up with 3 guards in the backcourt who are really shoot-first, ask questions later, you become undersized and downgrade the backcourt defense, and you lose spacing, since both Billups and McDyess (who provides spacing from either the 4 or 5 position) are leaving. You also get a player making a lot more money, who is 2 years older (I think). I think its a losing proposition for the Pistons.

Man screw CryIverson, this guy is a cancer to team success.

He realizes this team is going nowhere.

AI for TJ Ford.

Bucs80 wrote:Raptors might be the only team to trade for him....

i wouldn't count out orlando either. not exactly a great scoring backcourt and a team that would be willing to maybe sacrifice a few youths to have a chance at going further in the playoffs.

Orlando don't have the pieces to grab him. And three max deals would be really bad.

Orlando don't really need him even.

Dwight and Shard, the emergence of Hedo as the 3rd man, streaky guards who can all go off on you

markdeez33 wrote:Denver needs a TRUE point guard who can run the offense properly and throw up some nasty lobs to the high flying bigs on the team

Also the Nuggets could use some more depth off the bench. Kleiza has been excellent and I think he'll continue to improve.

JR Smith disappoints me, it seems his work ethic is minimal, yet he has so many tools.

lol this is funny because it's exactly what they had before in Andre Miller.

Denver needs to change their style of play...