Carmelo Anthony: Ranking The 10 Best Spots for His NBA Future
It's safe to say Carmelo Anthony is in a unique predicament at the moment. The Denver Nuggets have made no secret about their thoughts of shipping Anthony out before his contract expires in July and he becomes a free agent.
In the meantime, however, there will be widespread speculation as to where he ends up and which trade pieces will pull him out of Denver.
Numerous teams would love to have Carmelo's services (without the attitude), but only a few have the means to do it, either through draft picks or players.
Here are the 10 Possible Trade Scenarios for Carmelo Anthony.
10. Golden State Warriors
1 of 10
There's no doubt that the Warriors are starting to turn things around with a starting five of Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis, Dorell Wright, David Lee, and Andris Biedrins.
They have started to commit to defense under new head coach Keith Smart, but have the fast-paced, electric offense of previous years and still like to run.
Carmelo and the Nuggets might entertain the idea if the Warriors threw in Monta Ellis, a backup, and some draft picks.
Ellis has proven to be better than expected this season, averaging 27 points on 51 percent shooting in eight games. He could be bordering on the elite in the league, and a trade would bring Carmelo to Oakland as the starting small forward with Dorell Wright playing the 2. In return, Denver would get a rising star that hasn't been entirely content with the Warriors organization and could bring even more to the table in a new city.
9. Atlanta Hawks
2 of 10
There are very few teams in the league that don't like what Atlanta forward Josh Smith brings to the table. He consistently puts up good rebounding numbers, shoots a high percentage, and is a stealing and blocking machine on the defensive side of the ball.
Add a first round draft pick and Denver might like what they see from Atlanta.
8. Dallas Mavericks
3 of 10
Caron Butler has always been known as a multi-dimensional talent. He's quick, he can play a smart game, and he will undoubtedly net you some turnovers with his stealing ability.
Throw in a couple draft picks or Jason Kidd or Jason Terry and it might be an intriguing option for Denver and Dallas alike. Dallas has some emerging young guards (primarily Rodrique Beaubois) and Denver could get a solid guard and a definitive starting small forward in exchange.
Mark Cuban loves him some superstars.
7. Houston Rockets
4 of 10
Throwing in consistent scoring guard Kevin Martin, promising youth in Chase Budinger or Jordan Hill and a first-round draft pick, could be enough to sway Carmelo to Houston, although Carmelo has said it isn't one of his top destinations.
But Denver is looking for the best deal out there, and if they are high on Kevin Martin's scoring ability and remaining upside, this could work out for both sides.
Imagine Houston's lineup with Carmelo in it, with Yao Ming, Luis Scola, and Shane Battier, not to mention the currently-injured Aaron Brooks.
6. Philadelphia 76ers
5 of 10
Star forward Andre Iguodala is a tasty little option for Denver, who would land a proven small forward with still some upside.
Throw in Thaddeus Young and/or first-round draft pick Evan Turner on Philly's side, and you just might see Carmelo eating a Philly Cheesesteak one of these days. Which is another important question: does Carmelo Anthony like Philly Cheesesteaks?
5. Orlando Magic
6 of 10
Orlando is a big market and has distinguished itself as a perennial contender with goofball Dwight Howard at the helm.
Bring in Carmelo, and ship Vince Carter or Rashard Lewis, along with Mickael Pietrus and a first-round draft pick, and you might have yourself a deal.
Dwight Howard and Carmelo, being the bozos and easy-going dudes that they are, seem like they would get along just fine, and just imagine a Orlando-Miami rivalry with Carmelo involved. Spicy indeed.
4. New Orleans Hornets
7 of 10
If the Lebron James fiasco showed us one thing, it was that a healthy relationship can go a long way (and an unhealthy one can make an owner write a diatribe on a team's website).
Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony have this healthy relationship. And with New Orleans exploding out of the gates and making everyone forget about last year's lost season, Carmelo just might forget too and decide to head to New Orleans on the quest for a perfect record. Hey, he might even learn to play the sax.
New Orleans have David West, Trevor Ariza, and scary sixth man Marcus Thornton to offer. Keeping one of these players and offering a draft pick or two to Denver would set both teams up nicely.
I don't know what Carmelo and CP3 are doing in this picture, but they seem to enjoy each other's company.
3. Chicago Bulls
8 of 10
Taj Gibson and Luol Deng are tempting pieces to exchange for Carmelo. Gibson has proven to be a ferocious defener while Deng-despite his "deng" injuries- is a solid starting small forward that will help you on both sides of the court. Throw in James Johnson and you might strike it rich in the Carmelo sweepstakes in an Eastern Conference that is starting to become very competitive.
Tell Carmelo he could be Chicago's next Michael Jordan and watch his eyes light up (obviously, that would be a lie but giving him No. 25, two numbers above Michael Jordan and one above Kobe, might make him believe it).
In this picture, Luol Deng is MAKING WAY for Carmelo Anthony.
2. New York Knicks
9 of 10
I originally thought Carmelo would be a lock in New York. A big market, the city where he played his college ball at Syracuse, A'mare Stoudemire rolling on through, it all seemed like a perfect fit.
But lately I haven't heard much from New York, while I've heard plenty from New Jersey, going to the lengths of three or four-team deals to acquire the popular superstar.
I think at this point it's who the Denver organization likes the most, and the New Jersey Nets have a guy named Derrick Favors.
Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari would most likely be the top pieces Denver would covet from New York, and New York might be hesitant to let the ever-improving Gallinari go. Plus, Denver would have to make room for Eddy Curry, who they don't really need, because New York would have to free up some money for Carmelo's services.
1. New Jersey Nets
10 of 10
I really do feel the New Jersey Nets are the front runners right now. They've been insistent ever since Carmelo started having problems in Denver, and they've come mighty close multiple times, including a possible four-team mega deal that has recently been put on the table involving the Utah Jazz and Charlotte Bobcats.
In the four-team deal, Denver would collect prized Nets rookie Derrick Favors, Andrei Kirilenko, and multiple future first-round picks, according to ESPN.
That's a very tempting offer, and one that seems to have a very good chance of coming to fruition.
Don't forget the Nets will be moving to Brooklyn in two years, so 'Melo would still make it to New York in due time, where he grew up and went to college.
