Carmelo Anthony and Four Other NBA Players Who Should Sign Extensions
After all the movement that’s taken place this summer (you know, the Big Three aligning in Miami), now all the NBA talk moves to contract extensions.
The most notable name being thrown around the NBA rumor mill in regards to contract extensions is Carmelo Anthony.
In actuality, with the story being all the rage on ESPN for weeks, 2010 could arguably be called the summer of LeBron/Melo, The Decision One and Two, or LeBron Heating up and a Melo ending to summer.
And while many argue that Melo should just sign his extension in this uncertain time in the NBA, there are many others that deserve contract extensions and are either in talks or haven’t received offers yet.
Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls
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Joakim Noah has quickly become one of the better centers in the NBA today.
His 6’11”, 232-pound frame makes him a bit slight to go against some bigger opponents, but that doesn’t mean that Noah isn’t ferocious on the boards and with the basketball in his hands.
Noah averaged a reliable 10.7 points and 11 rebounds per game during the regular season, but he really strutted his stuff in the playoffs. Noah scored 14.8 points per and 13 rebounds per game in the postseason, a strong indication that he’s improving, maybe more rapidly than any thought.
And now with both Derrick Rose and Carlos Boozer on the team, the Bulls may be in the top half of the Eastern Conference this season. Noah is only scheduled to make $3.1 million this season and the Bulls have a team option they can pick up for 2011-12 for $4.2 million.
But if Noah plays this season like he did in the playoffs in 2010, look for him to want a pay raise. And really, Chicago should offer him a lucrative extension because he’s a solid player on the verge of being a star.
Jeff Green, Oklahoma City Thunder
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Jeff Green is a great young player that shows much potential to improve.
Just like many of the players on a stacked, young Oklahoma City Thunder squad, Green is quite talented.
In his third season last year, Green averaged 15.1 PPG, 6 RPG, and 1.6 APG—solid numbers for a small forward early in his career.
However, his size presents somewhat of a problem, as Green is the same height as Kevin Durant (6’9”) and Durant is the starter at the three spot. The Thunder start Green at power forward, which he’s too undersized to play defensively against bigger players.
Green said in March, “I’d love to (sign a contract extension with OKC). It’s a great thing going here.”
Currently though, Jeff Green is only signed through this next season. Beyond that, the Thunder have a $5.9 million option for Green in 2011-12, but he really deserves to be paid for years into the future beyond that.
Shane Battier, Houston Rockets
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Shane Battier has long been one of the better defenders in the NBA, especially at the forward position.
And even though he’s growing older, as he enters his 10th season in the Association, Battier is still a strong player.
His 8 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 2.4 APG are solid numbers, and while he’s not a top-tier star, Battier is exactly the type of role player that every team needs.
Battier will make a mere $7.35 million in 2010, but beyond that, he will become a free agent. That is, if Houston decides to resign him, which they should definitely do.
Chauncey Billups, Denver Nuggets
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There’s no doubting that Chauncey Billups is aging, but there’s also no denying that Billups can still ball with the best of them.
Billups enjoyed the best season statistically of his career last year, with 19.5 points and 5.6 assists per game. In fact, “Mr. Big Shot” was the first NBA player to ever average a career high in points in his 13th season.
And even though Billups’ production is stellar, it’s the intangibles he brings to the court that make him so valuable.
Billups is the unquestioned leader on the Pepsi Center hardwood, he brings the best out of every player on the Nuggets, including Carmelo Anthony.
He also is the only player on Denver’s team that has been to and won an NBA title.
Billups will make $13.2 million in this upcoming season, and the Nuggets can pick up his 2011-12 year option for $14.2 million. But, what Denver should do is offer him less money, but still keep him with the Nuggets for 2-4 more seasons beyond next year.
If they can get him to resign, it may help convince Carmelo Anthony sign his own extension with the Nuggets.
Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets
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Carmelo Anthony is a legit superstar in the NBA.
Many argue that he’s a one-dimensional player—a mere scorer at best. But in recent years, Anthony has worked hard to be a better passer, rebounder, and be more active on the defensive end of the floor.
Last season, Melo averaged 28.2 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 3.2 APG, and he was both the main scoring threat and the man with the ball in his hands the most for the Nuggets.
Technically, Anthony still has two years remaining on his contract with Denver, although he can opt out of the current deal in 2011. But, if Melo decides to stay with the Nuggets, he would make $100 million over the next five seasons, making him likely the highest paid player in the NBA.
Rumors have been swirling though, mainly about Melo flying to New York to be united with Amar’e Stoudemire on the Knicks. And on Wednesday, a story broke that claimed if he were to be traded, he would like to go to New York, New Jersey, or Houston.
But many of the thousands of articles that have been about Carmelo Anthony lately have been built around nothing other than speculation or the words of unnamed “sources,” and in actuality, Melo is just as likely to remain a Denver Nugget than going to any other team.
And until he makes a public statement, no one knows for sure what Carmelo wants to do, except him.
Rich Kurtzman is a Colorado State University Alumnus and freelance journalist. Along with being the Denver Nuggets Featured Columnist for bleacherreport.com, Kurtzman is the CSU Rams and Fort Collins Beer Bars Examiner for examiner.com and the Colorado/Utah Regional Correspondent for stadiumjourney.com.
