Nuggets News: Denver May Lose Carmelo Anthony; and Add Brandon Marshall?

Denver Nuggets veteran point guard and leader Chauncey Billups has been asked many times lately the question that is on the mind of many Rocky Mountain residents: Will Carmelo Anthony sign his contract extension?

“If I was a betting man? I don’t know,” Billups said. “Of course, I’m biased because I’m playing on the team that he’s playing on. But I’m optimistic that he’s going to come back and play for the Nuggets. I know he loves the city. Shoot, he’s been there since he was 20 years old. So I’m optimistic, but I don’t know. I wish I did, but I don’t.”

Billups also said to Fanhouse’s Chris Tomasson that he believes the Nuggets picking up his extension would help make Melo’s decision easier. “I'm sure that would help. You know I don’t want to go nowhere. …I’m pretty sure he wants to play with me. He’s expressed that he wants to play with me, at least as long as I can go.”

Billups is due to make $14.2 million in the 2011-12 season, but the Nuggets can decide to not pick up next year; they could save $10.5 million dollars. Billups will be 35 in 2011 and they have until June 20 of next year to pick up the star point guard. Of course, with the looming lockout still a possibility, it may not be practical to pick up a contract that large.

And while Billups remains optimistic, it remains cautious optimism—and many Nuggets fans are even beyond that. In fact, some Nuggets fans talk about Carmelo in the past tense, as if he’s already jumped on a private jet out of the Mile High City.

And really, even for the most positive-minded die-hards—the more time passes, the less likely it seems that Melo will ever ink the extension that’s on the table.

The three-year $65 million deal that is sitting somewhere in the annals of the Pepsi Center would make him virtually the highest-paid player in the NBA, right before a time when NBA player salaries could be cut by as much as 18 percent. In all, Melo would make $100 million if he were to stay in Denver for the next five years—perhaps the most he could hope for post-lockout would be $75 million over the same time.

And it’s not like these are the Nuggets of the late 90s—a perennial joke of the NBA—this Denver team is a contender, if not very close.

If Melo wants to fly to New York, he would risk if not waste at least a couple of years learning the best way to play with teammates. If Chris Paul doesn’t head there too, it makes almost no sense at all for Melo because his style of play and Amar’e Stoudemire’s don’t mesh. Paul would give them a star point guard that can pass with the best of them—but even then, the Knicks are devoid of talent.

Still, the pull of family and friends on the East Coast close to Baltimore, Maryland his home, and the attraction of playing in the game’s most massively showcasing arena in Madison Square Garden may be enough to tear him away from the only city he’s known as a professional.

Denver still loves Melo, but is the feeling mutual?

Brandon Marshall in the NBA? He’s “serious” about it.

Brandon Marshall is back to his usual ways of making himself the center of attention.

Yesterday, Marshall told the media he will pursue the NBA if there is a lockout in the NFL next year.

Well maybe pursue isn’t the right word.

“Not pursuing—I’m going to be on an NBA team. Seriously.”

But what team would Marshall want to play for?

“My first team will be the Nuggets and my second team will be the Heat—I’m serious,” he said.

Marshall foresees the NFL lockout being a lock, “There’s not going to be any football. If there’s a lockout, I have to find a job. I figure the Nuggets will be a better choice because of the welcome home cheer I’ll get—a couple of boos at first. I’m gonna get with a basketball coach and get to work, prepare for the lockout.”

But it seems as if Marshall is looking a little too far into the future, expecting everything to fall into place perfectly.

First and foremost, can Marshall ball on the hardwood?

Dolphins’ head coach Tony Sparano said of the prospects of Marshall playing in the NBA, “I’ve seen him jump—he’s not playing basketball.”

Next, just assuming the fans in Denver would give him a warm welcome is somewhat outrageous.

In Colorado, the Broncos are like the state religion and Marshall left an incredibly sour taste in the Denver faithful’s mouths.

Lastly, and most importantly, who’s saying the Nuggets want Marshall in the first place?

Marshall’s 6’5” 230 pound frame is beastly for a receiver in the NFL, but he’d most likely have to play shooting guard in the NBA.

Arron Afflalo is the current starter and J.R. Smith is the backup at the two spot for Denver, where would Marshall fit in?

There’s no doubt that Marshall is absolutely athletic but can he shoot? Dribble? Pass?  

There’s a reason why the NBA is the most exclusive league in American pro sports, there are a very select few that can play basketball at that elite of a level.

Nuggets GM search may have found its man

Hoopsworld is reporting that former Suns VP David Griffin is the “frontrunner for the job” of Denver Nuggets GM.

The Nuggets decided not to pick up former GM Mark Warkentien and VP of Basketball Operations Rex Chapman’s contracts, so they are currently without a GM.

Hoopsworld calls Griffin, “…one of the best general manager candidates available,” so maybe he can work out a way to pickup Billups’ extension, and eventually sign Carmelo Anthony.

Billups isn’t too worried about the situation, "I'm not concerned with it,'' Billups said.”Anything (the Nuggets) do, they're going to have to be thinking about what's going to be best and how they're going to be able to keep Melo. So I'm sure that all of that is going to factor right into it.''

Rich Kurtzman is a Colorado State University alumnus and a freelance journalist. Along with being the Denver Nuggets Featured Columnist for B/R, Kurtzman is the CSU Rams Examiner and Fort Collins Beer Bars Examiner for examiner.com, a Denver Broncos contributor for NFLTouchdown.com and the Colorado/Utah Regional Correspondent for stadiumjourney.com.

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