What you and I figured out months ago, what Carmelo Anthony’s people have been telling the Nuggets front office privately since this summer, has finally sunk in with Denver’s decision makers.
Carmelo Anthony is leaving, and you can trade him now or watch him walk for nothing next July. So Denver is going to get serious about trading him, Ken Berger reports at CBSSports.The Nuggets have all but decided to trade Anthony if he does not sign an extension with the team by the trade deadline, and Denver’s management team believes Anthony is fully prepared to play out the season and become a free agent, multiple sources told CBSSports.com….
Executives believe the Nuggets have decided they would like to receive the best possible package of young players and are not interested in stopgap options that would hamper their flexibility. Acquiring a high-priced veteran player -- such as Andre Iguodala, whose talent the Nuggets value but not his contract -- would only hurt the team’s ability to build around youth while maintaining payroll flexibility into the uncertainty of a new collective bargaining agreement.
The Nets’ package of 2010 No. 3 pick Derrick Favors, guard Devin Harris, the expiring contract of Kris Humphries and two first-round picks remains the most attractive option to the Nuggets, sources say.
Somewhere Bret Bearup is laughing.
He was the advisor to outgoing owner Stan Kronke who was pushed aside by incoming owner Josh Kronke — the son of Stan who has worked in the Nuggets front office — and Masai Ujiri. It was Bearup who pushed for the four-team trade that fell apart this summer because others in Denver wanted to try and convince Anthony to stay, and they weren’t sure exactly what they wanted back.
Now they do, they want young players and to rebuild. But remember that Anthony holds a hammer here — teams will only trade for him if he will sign an extension. The signals on if he would for the Nets are unclear, but he may not
He wants to go to New York with the Knicks, but they don’t really have quality young players to give, unless you think Anthony Randolph is just about to figure it all out. We’re kind of off that train, but maybe you are still riding it. Denver is off it, too.
Of course, the other question is should the Knicks even want him? They are playing good, efficient basketball of late — against a soft schedule, sure but they are winning — and do they want Anthony and his love of shooting a contested long two pointer in their offense now?
But what the Knicks really need is talent, and Anthony has that. So they’ll take him. And they are the one group that has played it smart and waited it out, now it all may fall into place for them.