NBA Trade Rumors: Why Carmelo Anthony to The New York Knicks Must Happen Now
NBA trade rumors regarding Carmelo Anthony have reached an all-time high.
Anthony has been dropping more and more hints to the media that his time with the organization is quickly coming to a close.
The New York Knicks are considered the front-runners for his services, and while the Denver Nuggets would prefer to trade him elsewhere, Anthony holds the leverage with his right of refusal in signing an extension.
If the Denver Nuggets were to trade Anthony to the New York Knicks, they must do it now rather than wait until the trade deadline.
10. Eddy Curry No More
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The Knicks have made it no secret that they have long wished to rid themselves of Eddy Curry and his massive contract.
Even though Curry comes off the books at the end of the season, the organization would most assuredly love to remove him as far as possible from Madison Square Garden.
Any deal for Carmelo Anthony would most certainly require Curry and his expiring contract.
9. Return to Prominence For The Mecca
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New York has long been considered the mecca of basketball.
Despite the city's only team being nothing more than a running joke for a better part of the past decade, the fans are passionate and hungry to see some winning basketball.
While rivals' fans and organizations will say otherwise, the Knicks being a winning team is good for the NBA as a whole.
8. Resolution For Chauncey Billups' Fate
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Carmelo Anthony being moved would likely signal the end of Chauncey Billups' future with the organization.
While Billups has publicly stated his desire to remain a member of the Denver Nuggets, financially, it doesn't make much sense for the team.
Like Anthony, Billups is a valuable trade asset that holds more value now as opposed to in February. There are two immediate teams that I can think of—the Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks—that would not only love to acquire his services, but use him to ultimately bolster their respective teams into title contenders.
7. Denver Can Plan For The Future
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If Carmelo Anthony is indeed on his way out, the Nuggets can start planning out the franchise's future well before free agency hits this summer.
Denver will have plenty of cap space to lure a marquee free agent and they can use the remaining months of the season to evaluate the players currently rostered in Denver.
Ty Lawson would be handed the keys to the kingdom once the franchise goes into rebuilding mode and getting him valuable playing time now will pay dividends down the road.
6. Isiah Thomas No More
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Isiah Thomas has the crosshairs on him anytime he comes to New York or utters a word about the Knicks' franchise. He couldn't step five feet into Manhattan without getting heckled or even finding himself on the wrong end of a physical assault.
The way I see it, is that this would be the final nail in the coffin for Thomas and any sort of return to the New York Knicks.
Thomas has been stepping on the toes of essentially all of his supporters on the Knicks and the near-immediate success the Knicks have had since his departure should hopefully be a sign to James Dolan that Thomas was the worst thing to ever happen to New York.
Despite what Thomas said this past summer, he actually had nothing to do with Amar'e joining the Knicks. The same would be said about Carmelo Anthony.
In fact, the argument could be had that Thomas rejoining the franchise could drive more players away from the Knicks than toward it.
5. No More Drama
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The Carmelo Anthony trade speculation has turned into a full blown soap opera. It may not be on the LeBron James and Cleveland Cavaliers level, but the tension has been building up for months now.
New Yorkers are able to rest easy knowing that the Knicks are actually a good team—even without Anthony—after nearly a decade of futility, but Denver natives are not so lucky.
Ending all the speculation now would give the team and its fans time to bemoan the loss of Anthony and move on quickly rather than watch all the drama unfold for two more months of agonizing pain.
4. Chemistry
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The sooner Carmelo Anthony is traded, the more time he'll have to develop chemistry with his teammates come playoff time.
Anthony has not had the luxury of playing with the likes of Amar'e Stoudemire and Raymond Felton and an adjustment period should be expected.
If they work out the kinks now, they'll be better off once April rolls around.
3. Denver Loses Bargaining Power
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The longer the Denver Nuggets wait to trade Anthony the more power they lose at the bargaining table.
At this juncture, Anthony signing the Nuggets' $65 million extension looks like nothing more than a fairy tale. The writing appears to be on the wall and the team should look to deal him now and get the most on their return.
If the organization holds out until the last minute, other teams can lowball the Nuggets, knowing that they'll be desperate to get anything in return for Anthony.
2. It Makes The Knicks Instant Title Contenders
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The Knicks currently have a 16-9 record and they're tied with the Atlanta Hawks for the fifth seed in the conference.
If Carmelo Anthony joins the team now, they'll have nearly three quarters of the season to work their way up the chain to a possible third or fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. This gives the team home court advantage in the early going of the playoffs and makes their road to the East Conference Finals that much easier if the team is indeed talented enough to get there.
1. Nuggets Left Empty Handed
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The absolute worst case scenario for the Nuggets would be to hold onto Carmelo Anthony past the trade deadline and into the summer with hopes that he'll change his mind between now and then, only to watch him walk away.
It's a risky proposition that could really sting the organization should Anthony ultimately choose to sign elsewhere.
If they trade him now, they at least get back assets to help rebuild their franchise. If they don't trade him, they start back at square one with a decimated roster.
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