Carmelo Anthony: 10 Reasons His Denver Exit Megadeal Is Doomed
This past week, there have been nothing but rumors about Carmelo Anthony and what seems like his imminent departure from Denver.
There has been pressure for Carmelo's people to get a deal done. There's been hesitation. No one really knows what's going on. But, I think this deal won't ever happen. There's plenty of reasons, but I picked the best 10 and give them to you here.
Do you think Denver should move him? Who do you think is the best fit? Where do you think he'll end up? Leave it all in the comments.
No. 10: Denver's Limbo
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What are the Denver Nuggets exactly? After a trip to the Western Conference Finals two years ago, Denver was knocked out in the first round of the playoffs by the Utah Jazz last year.
The Nuggets are aging at the point guard position with Chauncey Billups, who isn't Mr. Big Shot anymore. On top of that, Denver has always been a combustible team with JR Smith and Kenyon Martin, and we saw how it could get out of control once George Karl took a leave of absence to deal with his battle with cancer.
It's hard to tell if Denver should trade Anthony to be retooling for another run at a title or rebuilding for the future. Personally, I think it's the latter, but the Nuggets can't figure that out. Devin Harris isn't going to get the job done.
If I'm Denver, I ask for expiring contracts and future draft picks, because if they don't, I think they're going to be a mediocre team.
No. 9: Too Many Moving Parts
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Looking at the rumored deal that would send Carmelo Anthony to New Jersey, there's a ton of players and draft picks and four teams involved.
That's just a lot to get through to get a deal done, especially in the public eye. If I were a GM, I'd just try and work trades out without involving multiple teams, because I feel like it's just too easy for one team to walk away and ruin the whole deal.
I'm looking at Utah. What in the world are they doing? Trading Andrew Kirilenko for Boris Diaw makes sense how? The only reason to do it is to get under the luxury tax, but AK-47's deal expires at the end of the season while Diaw's does not.
If I'm Utah, I take the hit and wait for the cap room.
No. 8: Rumored Chris Paul Partnership
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When Carmelo Anthony got married this summer, Chris Paul decided to make a toast. However, it wasn't about well wishes on his marriage.
It was towards the pair teaming up together as part of the New York Knicks. That partnership is toast if Anthony goes anywhere but the Knicks. Since LeBron James changed the face of the NBA by going to Miami this summer, it has caused other top players to re-evaluate how they go about trying to win a title.
It's no shock that Anthony and Paul want to play together, and I still think they want to make that a reality.
No. 7: Golden State Isn't Competitive Enough
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I'm not sure why Golden State is even calling Denver about this. I know that every team would love to have Carmelo Anthony, but the Warriors don't have anything that Denver would want.
The rumored package centered around Stephen Curry, and if I'm Golden State, I hang on to Curry. I'm just not sure of the Warriors' motivation. Why would Anthony want to go there? Don Nelson is now out as coach, and Golden State hasn't been a contender in about four years now. It's just a bad situation out there.
It's just not going to happen with the Warriors as the primary trade partner.
No. 6: Contract Talks on Top of Trade
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It's going to be a hefty price to pay to get Carmelo Anthony on your roster.
Not only will a trade partner have to give up a ton of assets to land him, they'll have to sign him to a contract extension on top of it. I feel like there wouldn't be trade rumors if there wasn't the threat of a lockout next year.
Carmelo is a free agent in the summer, and he's trying to get his payday while he still can. If he doesn't, who knows what is going to happen come next fall. It's just a lot to pay, and I think some teams would rather see what happens down the line than trade now.
No. 5: Sixers Don't Have Enough Talent To Trade
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If Denver takes Andre Iguodala as the centerpiece of a package for Carmelo Anthony, the Nuggets are fools, plain and simple.
As someone who has seen more Iguodala performances than I'd care to remember, it's just obvious that he's not the type of player who will ever lead a team to a title, despite what the Sixers have tried to do the past couple of years.
Iguodala thrived at the World Championships because he was a third banana and didn't have all of the pressure on him. Putting Iguodala in the same situation is just asking for trouble and is unfair to him at this point in his career.
No. 4: Knicks Traded Away Their Assets
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It's just failure after failure for the Knicks.
Not only do the Knicks spend years setting up for the "Summer of LeBron" to not get him, in doing so, they cost themselves a better chance to land Anthony by trading picks and other assets to Houston, who is now trying to get into the Carmelo sweepstakes.
I'm not sure what the Knicks can really offer that's better than any of the other teams that have been rumored, especially Houston.
No. 3: Chicago Won't Part With Joakim Noah
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Chicago is a major player for Carmelo Anthony, and adding him to the roster would turn the Bulls into a big-time threat.
Derrick Rose, Carmelo Anthony, and Carlos Boozer would be a formidable lineup to go against. However, the Bulls are trying to make the deal by using Luol Deng as a big piece. First off, that's not going to happen, Deng's contract is an albatross and the Nuggets would be fools to take it.
Secondly, Joakim Noah makes the most sense, as he's another player who is going to be up in terms of a contract. The Bulls are struggling to re-sign him at the moment and that should be more incentive to move him.
I like Noah as a player, I really do. He hustles, he works hard and he's got a ton of heart. Not to mention he's gotten farther as a player than I ever thought he would, but you can get another Joakim Noah. Carmelo Anthonys don't grow on trees.
The Bulls' hesitation to move him stuns me.
No. 2: Wise Words From Kobe
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During this whole process, Carmelo Anthony finally talked to someone who knows exactly what he's going through, Kobe Bryant.
Bryant requested a trade back in 2007, and Kobe told Yahoo Sports that he talked to Anthony a couple of days ago and told him not to try and force a trade just for the sake of a change of scenery. I'm not shocked that this has coincided with the slowing of rumors about this deal.
I think Kobe's advice is some of the best I've heard about this situation. It worked out for Bryant in his situation, and maybe it will work out for Carmelo as well.
No. 1: His Heart Is In New York
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While plenty of destinations have been talked about, the major thing that has been said is that Carmelo Anthony wants to play in New York.
That was whispered about this summer and with the possibility of Chris Paul joining him, it's just too hard to resist. That doesn't mean I think he'll get traded to the Knicks, because that might be unrealistic to expect, considering the pieces the Knicks have.
However, I wouldn't be shocked for Carmelo to stand pat and then go to the Knicks in the offseason, risking the lockout in the fall and the shaky situation for many teams.
You can't ignore your heart, I suppose.
