OT: Nets & Nuggets Reach Agreement On Trade;Now Its Up To CA

[boogydown]

WojYahooNBA Adrian Wojnarowski
After Carmelo Anthony sit-down with New Jersey ownership, "The Nets didn't come away very confident," a source briefed on meeting tells Y!

[johnnyvann840]

I would give up Deng and a few first rounders for a few months of rental for Melo. I dont know if the Nuggets would bite though.

That's about the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

Melo has been as instrumental in Denver's 25 losses this year as Deng has in the Bulls 38 wins. And that is VERY instrumental. Deng's outstanding defense, solid shooting, playmaking, and general consistent, solid TWO WAY play in heavy, heavy minutes, has been VITAL to a team with a chance to win 60 games.

Call me crazy but replace Deng with Melo on this Bulls team this year which relies on suffocating, stifling defensive pressure to win, and the Bulls record is NOT as good as it is right now. Deng has played all world defense while averaging 17.6 and 6.2 and 2.6 (career high) and about a steal per game. He rarely turns the ball over and almost never commits a foul- just two fouls per game (which is amazing considering the D he plays and the minutes he plays).

Just look at how well Denver has been doing for the last 11 games when Melo has been on this scoring tear, averaging 31 PPG, that he is being praised for in the media. All i hear is how he is putting all this aside and playing so great, despite all the talk of trades and the deadline. Watch a game closely and see how he hurts more than he helps when he tries to "get his" .. Nugz are 4-7, btw, in that stretch- one of the weakest stretches of their schedule.

[boogydown]

WojYahooNBA Adrian Wojnarowski
Column: Isiah Thomas is back in power, pushing for Melo's arrival, Walsh's departure and a GM of his choice.

[boogydown]

How many of you want to bet that Denver is using New Jersey to get a higher offer from New York?

[Magilla_Gorilla]

How many of you want to bet that Denver is using New Jersey to get a higher offer from New York?

Denver doesn't care which team he goes to - they are going to extract as much as possible from either team and will play each team against the other (as they should).

They've got as much as they are going to get from NJ, now its time to play James Dolan and Isiah Thomas to empty the coffers.

[boogydown]

How many of you want to bet that Denver is using New Jersey to get a higher offer from New York?

Denver doesn't care which team he goes to - they are going to extract as much as possible from either team and will play each team against the other (as they should).

They've got as much as they are going to get from NJ, now its time to play James Dolan and Isiah Thomas to empty the coffers.

Yet deep down Denver knows they won't be able to reach a deal with New Jersey in the end so they are making it sound like their is a chance to NY increases their offer.

[Magilla_Gorilla]

How many of you want to bet that Denver is using New Jersey to get a higher offer from New York?

Denver doesn't care which team he goes to - they are going to extract as much as possible from either team and will play each team against the other (as they should).

They've got as much as they are going to get from NJ, now its time to play James Dolan and Isiah Thomas to empty the coffers.

Yet deep down Denver knows they won't be able to reach a deal with New Jersey in the end so they are making it sound like their is a chance to NY increases their offer.

I agree - but I think Denver FO believes the extension is very important to Carmelo - and in the end might be willing to call his bluff. NJ or nothing - if NY doesn't increase its offer.

[dougthonus]

I agree - but I think Denver FO believes the extension is very important to Carmelo - and in the end might be willing to call his bluff. NJ or nothing - if NY doesn't increase its offer.

I wrote a long post on it here, but I think the dynamics of this trade are fascinating.

Basically, there's no obvious situation where everyone wins, or even multiple people win big. The biggest win/win scenario might be Carmelo heading to FA and signing with the Knicks, but only if the money really isn't that important to him.

[Future Coach]

Can anyone explain to me why Denver wants Gallinari instead of Fields? Gallinari doesn't play D and already has back issues. I mean why would a team prefer him to Fields? Just silly to me, but then again Denver's front office has been referred to as amateur hour.

But I'm also of the perspective that the Bulls could offer a better package than the Knicks (without Noah). Deng, while on a good sized contract, would be one of the best SF's in the West and him + Gibson would allow them to remain competitive this season. Deng has continually improved, plays hard and is young. Denver already has plenty of expiring contracts and thus Eddy Curry should continually be counted as a negative. But it's whatever, Deng is a good fit on this team, just need him to add better ball handling and maybe a better post game in the off season.

edit....

-ps- if the CBA does change drastically and reduces max contracts, and if no trade gets made this season, what's to stop Melo from opting-in for next year on his deal with the Nuggets? He would make $18+ million and Denver would have a chance to retool its roster a little bit. If I'm the Nuggets and am not presented with a deal I want, I would likely call Melo's bluff and not trade him, and instead try to make some moves to get better for this year and next. See what they can get for their current expiring deals and maybe get a chance at contending. Granted he hasn't signed their current extension offer, but they haven't really done much to improve over the past off-season. I mean who is the Al Harrington signing impressing besides Al Harrington? Can they not offer Melo the same (or similar) extension next season if he opts-in for the extra money? Regardless they should ditch Al Harrington for expirings right now.

Here's a hypothetical list of possibilities for this off season, after not trading Melo

- Cut Billups and offer to resign him at a reduced price. He says he wants to retire in Denver, so see if he is true to his word.
- If Billups doesn't come back for cheaper, get TJ Ford for super cheap and have Lawson and Ford run the PG spot...some real quickness there.
- Make a play for Zach Randolph, and if he says no throw money at Marc Gasol
- If can't sign Randolph go after Carl Landry and Chandler (or Dalembert as a fail safe)
- If Nene opts-out get Landry and/or Chandler (again Dalembert= fail safe) and make a cheap offer to Battie or Nazr.
- Make an offer to Thadeous Young and/or Prince and/or Kirilenko (although i think he goes to NJ)
- If Afflalo gets away some how, go after Jrich and/or Caron Butler, and/or Crawford

Then there are even more options after that. My point is the Nuggets could be molded into a very good team if not mismanaged. I know that's a big if given the current situation, but it's a possibility.

Either way I wouldn't take the Knicks trash. Make Melo prove how much he wants to go to NY

[AAU Teammate]

Can anyone explain to me why Denver wants Gallinari instead of Fields?

6'10" and skilled about sums it up. At this point Denver has to look at trade values of whoever they get, since they will surely not be done moving people around (both now and next year)

Also they're a little more set at the guard spots than elsewhere.

[Pax for Prez]

Can anyone explain to me why Denver wants Gallinari instead of Fields? Gallinari doesn't play D and already has back issues. I mean why would a team prefer him to Fields? Just silly to me, but then again Denver's front office has been referred to as amateur hour.

But I'm also of the perspective that the Bulls could offer a better package than the Knicks (without Noah). Deng, while on a good sized contract, would be one of the best SF's in the West and him + Gibson would allow them to remain competitive this season. Deng has continually improved, plays hard and is young. Denver already has plenty of expiring contracts and thus Eddy Curry should continually be counted as a negative. But it's whatever, Deng is a good fit on this team, just need him to add better ball handling and maybe a better post game in the off season.

The only thing I can think of ............is that both players stats are inflated by D'antoni's system and they feel that Gallinari is the player with higher upside.

Just my guess,

Pax

[chadrucf]

Can anyone explain to me why Denver wants Gallinari instead of Fields?

6'10" and skilled about sums it up. At this point Denver has to look at trade values of whoever they get, since they will surely not be done moving people around (both now and next year)

Also they're a little more set at the guard spots than elsewhere.

I think the bottom line is that Gallinari has a higher potential than Fields. When you are in Denver's position, you take the potential of Gallinari over the known commodity in Fields. Further, it also helps that they have both Afflalo and Smith on the roster already. And although they are both expiring, I believe they would rather keep one of those already on the roster and add a SF rather than create an even more cluttered SG rotation.

[Future Coach]

Can anyone explain to me why Denver wants Gallinari instead of Fields?

6'10" and skilled about sums it up. At this point Denver has to look at trade values of whoever they get, since they will surely not be done moving people around (both now and next year)

Also they're a little more set at the guard spots than elsewhere.

I agree they are more set at SG, although Smith is unrestricted and Afflalo could be offered a big chunk by someone else, so Fields would be great insurance. Also, Fields plays stronger than his size, so he would be a pretty good option if going small.

And while 6'10'' and decently skilled in that he can shoot and kind of put it on the floor. He doesn't rebound or defend, and those type of players just aren't my type of players I guess. Not to mention he is often a volume shooter. And I wouldn't underrate those back problems. being half Italian I am kind of forced to like Gallinari a little bit, but even so I still see him as only a shooter who whines more than he should.

I'd go after Fields who seemingly has proven to be the player with more hustle and desire.

[TheAdmiral]

FisolaNYDN Frank Isola
James Dolan believes that if Isiah were involved from the start LeBron would be a Knick. Feels he got Amar'e & that he is delivering Carmelo
21 seconds ago

[Future Coach]

FisolaNYDN Frank Isola
James Dolan believes that if Isiah were involved from the start LeBron would be a Knick. Feels he got Amar'e & that he is delivering Carmelo
21 seconds ago

Didn't Stern already say something about a current college head coach being involved with an NBA team being a no-no?

If any penalty was to be handed down on the Knicks, is there any precedent for this sort of thing?

[Ben]

That WT story about the Nets meeting with Melo and not coming away feeling very confident: why would the Nets let anyone know that? If they really don't feel confident then they'll want the Knicks to pay as high a price as possible. Telling anyone that they don't feel confident presumably would lower the price that NY has to pay, as the Knicks would be bidding against themselves. So if you're part of the NJ team and you don't feel confident, you say the opposite.

Which leads me to believe that either the "source" for that article was making stuff up, or that the Nets' leadership is totally incompetent. Or possibly both.

[panthermark]

FisolaNYDN Frank Isola
James Dolan believes that if Isiah were involved from the start LeBron would be a Knick. Feels he got Amar'e & that he is delivering Carmelo
21 seconds ago

[Magilla_Gorilla]

Can anyone explain to me why Denver wants Gallinari instead of Fields?

Fields was a 4 year college player who is basically maxed out on what he is going to be. Does anyone really expect anything more that 12 & 7 out of him going forward? Don't get me wrong - I'd sell the bones of my dead grandmother to get him on the Bulls - but his value to a rebuilding club isn't as great as that of someone like Gallo - who at least has 'potential'.

[Jordan45822]

http://twitter.com/#!/alanhahn/status/39407933557182464

Hearing that Denver won't rush, but being pressured by other teams who want to make deals. This is holding up a lot of action around league.

Sounds like other teams are getting pist off. I still don't understand why it matters other deals can happen without Anthony being traded or pulled out of trade rumors.

[dougthonus]

http://twitter.com/#!/alanhahn/status/39407933557182464

Hearing that Denver won't rush, but being pressured by other teams who want to make deals. This is holding up a lot of action around league.

Sounds like other teams are getting pist off. I still don't understand why it matters other deals can happen without Anthony being traded or pulled out of trade rumors.

Some other teams want players from Denver besides Melo, but Denver can't make trades in case they need those players to make the Melo trade work.

Other teams are holding up deals so tehy can benefit by being the third team in a Melo deal.