NBA Trade Rumors: Carmelo Anthony, If Not New York Knicks, How About Miami Heat?
Here's what we know, or think we know:
Carmelo Anthony wants to leave the Denver Nuggets via trade this season, and will only sign an extension with the New York Knicks.
But the New Jersey Nets, Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks and just about any team in the NBA could all use the mega-star forward, so there won't be a shortage of offers for Anthony.
And Denver GM Masai Ujiri isn't stupid; he knows Donnie Walsh and the Knicks probably won't be offering the best deal.
So while Melo does have the upper-hand with his no-trade clause, it's entirely possible that Ujiri could convince him to go elsewhere if he plays hardball.
That being said, here are 10 teams that have the pieces to beat what the Knicks are offering, and what their packages might look like.
UPDATE: Don't expect any of these deals to happen soon, though. Anthony is on temporary leave from the Nuggets due to the tragic death of his sister, Michelle. Denver is putting trade talks on hold for now, and Anthony isn't expected to return until after Christmas.
New Jersey Nets
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Nets receive: Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups
Nuggets receive: Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, Troy Murphy (expiring contract), picks
The deal supposedly on the table is similar to this one, minus Billups.
But if I'm the Nets, I'm not giving up a good point guard and a guy with the potential to become an Amare-Dwight-Garnett-esque freak show, even for Melo.
And if you're the Denver Nuggets already giving up Melo (and subsequently giving up your season), why not get Billups' contract off the books?
It makes more sense for both teams.
Chicago Bulls
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Bulls receive: Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith
Nuggets receive: Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, Troy Murphy (expiring)
Nets receive: Al Harrington, Ronnie Brewer
I realize this is far-fetched, maybe even crazy. But think about it.
The Nuggets stay competitive and add young talent and the Nets get pretty a solid return for Murphy's contract.
And I know what you're saying; the Bulls won't give up Noah no matter what. But is their current team really ever going to take out a team like the Heat in the playoffs? This would be a gamble, but it could pay off big time.
Then again, don't expect this to happen, especially with Tom Thibodeau's penchant for defense.
Houston Rockets
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Rockets receive: Anthony
Nuggets receive: Chase Budinger, Shane Battier (expiring), Jordan Hill, Jared Jeffries (expiring), picks
This deal works in theory, but the Rockets just don't have enough to pull off a trade for Melo.
They have picks, expiring contracts, and some decent young talent, but nothing exceptional. And that's not enough for a bonafide superstar.
Los Angeles Clippers
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Clippers receive: Carmelo Anthony
Nuggets receive: Al-Farouq Aminu, Chris Kaman, DeAndre Jordan, Willie Warren
The numbers work here, but there are two potential dealbreakers:
Would Melo really agree to go to the Clippers?
And is this enough for an elite scorer?
The answer is probably a "no" in both cases...
Dallas Mavericks
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Nuggets receive: Rodrigue Beaubois, Tyson Chandler (expiring), Caron Butler, picks
Mavericks receive: Carmelo Anthony, Renaldo Balkman, Anthony Carter
Mark Cuban can deny interest in Melo all he wants, but this trade makes a whole lot of sense for both sides...
Miami Heat
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Heat receive: Carmelo Anthony, Ishmael Smith
Rockets receive: Kenyon Martin (expiring), Udonis Haslem, Carlos Arroyo (expiring), Joel Anthony
Nuggets receive: Mike Miller, Zydrunas Ilgauskas (expiring), Shane Battier (expiring), Eddie House (expiring), Jared Jeffries (expiring), Kyle Lowry, Patrick Patterson
Sorry, this wasn't supposed to get out of Pat Riley's secret underground South Beach lab...
But it's not happening, don't worry.
Nonetheless, it's scary to think that this trade works under the cap, and each team winds up getting decent value in the end...
Can Any Of Them Beat Out The Knicks?
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The Knicks' offer will probably look something like this:
Nuggets receive: Eddy Curry (expiring), Landry Fields, Danilo Gallinari, Anthony Randolph
Knicks receive: Carmelo Anthony
This is a solid deal for both teams, but are any of the other deals better?
The Nets seem to be offering more, as well as the Bulls and Mavericks in their hypothetical offers.
So basically, the only chance the Knicks seem to have is if Anthony refuses to go elsewhere. And fortunately for them, that is what he reportedly is doing.
Are The Knicks Really The Better Option For Melo?
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Here's another question that needs to be asked:
Why would Anthony prefer the Knicks over the Nets by so much?
Sure, the Knicks are the better team now. But post-trade, who has the better future?
Let's compare lineups:
Knicks: PG: Raymond Felton, SG: Wilson Chandler SF: Anthony PF: Amare Stoudamire, C: Ronny Turiaf
Nets: PG: Chauncey Billups, SG: Anthony Morrow, SF: Carmelo Anthony, PF: Kris Humphries/Derrick Favors, C: Brook Lopez
It could be my Nets bias showing itself here, but wouldn't you rather play on the Nets?
And for anyone questioning why Melo would choose Newark over the city, you need to realize that they are really close to each other. Anthony could live in the bright lights of the city, get the New York bandwagoners' attention and eventually play in Brooklyn.
What's not to like?
Prediction
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While all of this is well and good, all of the reports seem to suggest that Melo's heart is set on the Knicks.
And since he has almost all of the leverage in this situation, it's likely that he'll get his wish.
Ujiri would be making a huge mistake by not trading Anthony and getting something in return, so I think he'll eventually cave and accept the Knicks solid, but not exceptional offer.
Comments
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What do you think?
Where will he end up?
Are there any other teams that could swoop in on Carmelo?
Voice your opinion in the comments.
Matt Rudnitsky is a student at the University of Michigan and a Featured Columnist/writing intern at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Mattrud.
