Carmelo Anthony: Trade Melo To the Nets? Denver Nuggets Are Just Being Realistic

After seeing the entire city of Cleveland devastated by the loss of LeBron James, Denver Nuggets fans are preparing for their own mini-version of Hurricane LeBron as Carmelo Anthony seems to have one foot out the door.

Over the last few days, it has become increasingly clear that Anthony wants out, and his agent, Leon Rose, has been pressuring the Nuggets front-office to move him before training camp.

The Nets have been pronounced as the clear front-runners, with Donnie Walsh’s all-in-for LeBron campaign leaving the Knicks devoid of assets and the Bulls declaring Joakim Noah untouchable.

As this blockbuster deal comes closer and closer to actually occurring, the question stands, if the Nuggets pull the trigger, is it the right move?

Before we do that, let’s check out the likely specifics of the deal, as ESPN’s Marc Stein is reporting.

Nuggets: Receive Nets rookie forward Derrick Favors, Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko and multiple first-round picks

Nets: Receive Carmelo Anthony

Jazz: Receive Bobcats forward Boris Diaw

Charlotte Bobcats: Receive Nets point guard Devin Harris

Well, on paper, the Nuggets are the obvious losers.  They are stripped of their franchise cornerstone, seemingly putting them straight into rebuilding mode.

Just two seasons removed from a Western Conference Finals appearance and one year removed from a fourth-place finish in the ever-so-competitive West, this is a hard pill to swallow for Nuggets fans.

But the reality is, facing the near-certain loss of 'Melo in free agency next summer, this is just about as good as they can do.

Instead of being left with nothing, or possibly a few assets in a sign and trade deal next summer, the Nuggets assure themselves of getting something in return for the loss of their superstar.

While it’s tough to play a part in tearing apart a franchise, that is clearly the smart thing to do if you are Denver GM Masai Ujiri.

First of all, the Nuggets get a potential stud in Favors, who has repeatedly drawn comparisons to hyper-athletic forwards like Kevin Garnett, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Antonio McDyess.  If he winds up being anything like the aforementioned players, this certainly bodes well for Denver.

With a college line of 12.4 PPG and 8.4 RPG in 27.5mpg on a Georgia Tech team with guards who seemed to be doing their best to deny him the ball, this is certainly within the realm of possibility.

But Favors is only 19 and a work in progress.  The trade does nothing to accelerate the rebuilding process for Denver, and no matter how good Favors becomes, it will be a long few years for a fan base that is used to watching a contender.

Getting Kirilenko definitely helps the Nuggets in the short term, though.

He gives them the type of versatile athlete that is still a plus-defender as he enters the latter stages of his career, and also gives them an enormous $17.823 million expiring contract to use as a trade asset or to clear cap-space after the season.

And despite the fact that he is somewhat on the decline, he is still a good player, and at 29 years old, he could come back at a massive discount and be a solid stopgap until Favors and the rest of the team develops.

So the Nuggets get a young player with superstar potential, lots of cap relief or a massive trade asset, a solid veteran stopgap, and a mass stock of first-round picks in return for their franchise centerpiece.

For a team as successful as the Nuggets have been in recent years, this does little to help them sustain their success in the short run.

But this is just about the perfect return for a rebuilding team, and unfortunately for Denver, Carmelo Anthony’s demands have made the Nuggets into just that.

So while I wouldn't want to be the Nuggets, they’re making the best of a bad situation.