NBA Trade Rumors: 5 Reasons Carmelo Anthony Won't Be Traded This Year
Carmelo Anthony trade rumors have been all around the NBA all off season and all regular season. Just about everyone thinks that there's no chance Melo will re-sign with the Nuggets next year, and therefore there is no chance Melo remains with the Nuggets past the Trade Deadline. I, however, feel differently. I think that Melo will still be in a Nuggets uniform at least until this off season, and here are the 5 main reasons for my feeling that way:
Nuggets' Success
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Let's face it; The Nuggets are a good team. They're on a 7-game winning streak even with Carmelo not playing very well because of his sickness. They were the first team to take down the defending champion Lakers, and they are currently 6th in ESPN's Power Rankings. If Carmelo believes the Nuggets are his best chance to win, he's not going to leave, and it's getting to the point where that thought just might cross his mind.
Other Team's Success
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Some of the Teams that Melo has been most speculated to be dealt to are playing very well. The Mavericks are on a 9-game win streak and are 3rd in ESPN's Power Rankings, and 2nd In the West. The Orlando Magic are also 2nd in their conference and 5th in ESPN's Power Rankings. The Bulls are starting to incorporate Boozer into their offense, and are 4th in the East. The Knicks are having their best season this or last decade behind Amare Stoudemire and are 6th in the East. If these teams feel they will have success in their current setup, which is quite likely, then they won't try to go out and get Melo, which adds another layer of complication to these rumors.
Refusal To Sign Long-Term
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It's become clear over the duration of these speculations that Melo doesn't want to sign long-term somewhere and lock himself in there no matter what. He wants to be able to go somewhere and be able to leave right away if it doesn't work. Teams like the Knicks, Nets and Rockets won't trade for Melo without that signature out of fear that he'll do just that; leave after half a season.
Lack Of Trade Bait
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The entire reason that the Nuggets want to trade Melo this year is to get something for him in return. But Alas, the teams that surround the speculation don't have much to offer. Perhaps the front-runner in the New York Knicks may have the least trade bait of them all. Obviously there's no way they're going to trade Stoudemire, and Danilo Gallinari and Raymond Felton are very doubtable. That leaves Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph as the main trade bait, and they certainly aren't the right fit for Denver. New Jersey refuses to trade Terrence Williams, Derrick Favors, or Brook Lopez. That leaves Devin Harris, Travis Outlaw, and Jordan Farmar as the main trade bait, which is a little better than the Knicks, but not much. Orlando could be the best team to trade Melo to regarding this category. They seem willing to trade some very good players, like Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter, and Raschard Lewis.
The Miami Heat
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One of Carmelo's biggest motivations for leaving Denver is the temptation of a Super Star Grouping, much like that of Bosh, James, and Wade in Miami. But, with the recent struggles of the Big Three in South Beach, that temptation has been diminished. If Melo is looking to win now, he would be better off learning from LeBron's mistake and staying in Denver rather than spending years and years trying to build chemistry in New York or Orlando.
