Carmelo Anthony: Why Both the Knicks and Nuggets Are Re-Evaluating His Situation

Remember when the Knicks had a tough time recruiting top-tier free agents over the summer because their roster lacked an efficient supporting cast?  How about when the New Orleans Hornets briefly entertained the idea of dealing Chris Paul, but the Knicks weren't on their radar because they had no valuable assets to offer? 

Or how about the current Carmelo Anthony debacle where the Denver Nuggets have repeatedly made it clear that the Knicks assets are not enough to land the superstar forward?

Since the end of last season, the Knicks have been thought to possess absolutely no assets on their roster.  Their supporting cast has repeatedly faced rejection and been universally doubted.

All of that is about to change.

The Knicks entered this season with many unanswered questions and low expectations. Amare Stoudemire and Raymond Felton had been added to the roster, but many felt they would not be enough to push the Knicks into the playoffs.  

Yet here we are are, almost halfway into the season and the Knicks are 20-14 and hold the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference going into tonight's game against the Phoenix Suns.  Many believed that they would have trouble grabbing the eighth seed.  

Although it is early in the season to be doing a victory lap, credit must still be given where credit is do.

Stoudemire has given the Knicks new life and there have been times where he seems to single-handedly carries them.  However, those times become fewer and fewer with each passing game.  

Other players are beginning to step up and come into their own.  Other players are beginning to play a substantial role in the early success of this young Knicks team.  And it's the same players who have been overlooked and considered invaluable assets by the rest of the league that are emerging.

Wilson Chandler, Landry Fields and Danilo Gallinari are rapidly making critics eat their previous words.  Their play has exceeded expectations as well as added further complication and drama to the current Carmelo situation.

At the beginning of the season, Chandler was coming off the bench.  Now he has worked his way into the starting lineup and has been instant offense the entire season for the Knicks.  On the season he is averaging 17.9 points per game.  Not to mention he adds 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game to his impressive offensive numbers.

No one was really sure how Chandler would fare this season.  In his two previous seasons, he has had stints where he looks almost unstoppable, but he could never keep the momentum going on a daily basis.  

Things are much different  this season.  He packed on some more muscle and is playing consistently dominant basketball game in and game out.  He has been one of the bigger surprises of the NBA this season.

Next we have the rookie out of Stanford, Landry Fields.  Expectations were low or non-existent for the 22-year-old guard out of Stanford.  Second-round draft picks rarely make an impact during their careers, let alone in their first season.

Fields, on the other hand, has proved to be more than just a steal in the draft.  He started the season in the starting lineup and has never looked back.

He is averaging 10.1 points and 7.4 rebounds game.  He is an extremely hard worker on the defensive, and has showed he will not be pushed around by opposing veterans.  In addition, Fields has won the NBA Rookie of the Month award for the Eastern Conference for two months running and is a candidate for the Rookie of the Year award.

His stats do not scream game-changer, but they are more than stellar.  What he brings to the court is intangible and more important than lucrative stats.  His presence on the court is constantly felt whether it is grabbing a crucial rebound on the defensive end or, as Knicks fans have become accustomed to, dunking a put-back on the offensive side. 

It's becoming increasingly clear that Fields is the real deal.  And the current hype that has been surrounding him is well deserved.

Lastly we have the third-year forward out of Italy, Danilo Gallinari.  In only his second full season (he missed almost all of his rookie season with a back injury), he has shown on many occasions why he could very well be the next Dirk Nowitzki.

Gallinari is averaging 15.3 points per game to go along with 4.5 rebounds.  He is still as dangerous from beyond the arc as any other player in the league, and he has become an expert at drawing charges on the defensive end.

The biggest knock on Gallinari is that he has a tendency to disappear sometimes during games.  He is reluctant to call for the ball, and there have been many games where he has taking less than 10 field goal attempts.  

Part of this is attributed to the fact that the offense runs through Stoudemire, but there's no question Gallinari needs to be more aggressive on the offensive end.

However, Gallinari has become an extremely aggressive defender this season.  He has always been a willing defender, but he is really blossoming on that end of the floor this season.  

Also, despite his absence at times on the offensive end, he has learned to drive the ball more and is getting to the free-throw line more frequently as a result.  And many forget that Gallinari is still learning the game.  This is only his second full season and he's still developing his game.

The upside of these three players is increasing with each game.  The Denver Nuggets are even now reportedly "willing" to discuss a trade with the Knicks for Anthony.

Denver isn't fooling anybody though.

They are more than willing to deal with the Knicks now and are only trying to downplay it in an attempt to get the most assets possible out of a potential deal with the Knicks.

Denver covets both Chandler and Fields, and although they downplay the hype on Gallinari, they have been impressed with his play has well.

Chandler, Fields and Gallinari have forced other NBA teams to notice them.  Denver's reluctance to deal with the Knicks is completely gone, regardless of what their officials say. 

These three players are letting their play do that talking and the message is clear: We are a force to be reckoned with.

This is not to say that Chandler, Fields or Gallinari came into the season looking to prove critics that they are assets other teams covet.  They do not want to be traded.  

They did want to prove, though, that they are valuable and capable of playing important roles for the Knicks.  And they are doing just that.

They are exceeding expectations so much so that Denver is not the only party reconsidering their stance on the Anthony front.  With each passing day, the Knicks front office is becoming more and more reluctant to trade away any of their young players to obtain Anthony.

It is becoming increasingly clear that the Knicks are leaning toward being patient on the Anthony front.  If Anthony puts pressure on the Nuggets to trade him to the Knicks no matter what they are offering then that's great.  However, until any more light is shed on the Nuggets' plan, the Knicks' plan has changed.

They are no longer looking to get Anthony at all costs.  Their new plan is to figure out a way to clear enough cap space this off-season to sign Anthony and re-sign Chandler.  They are determined to keep this young group together as much as they possibly can.  And who can blame them?

Yes, the Knicks are still willing to part with assets to obtain Anthony.  But only as a last resort.  They prefer to wait and sign him over the summer.  And if Anthony has been watching the Knicks young talent at all, he may be perfectly okay with waiting until next season to join the Knicks.

Anthony may want the millions he would be leaving on the table if he does not sign the extension, but the new Collective Bargaining Agreement may reduce contracts that are in place already.  

And it is this possibility that puts the Nuggets in a tough situation.  Their only bargaining chip is that Anthony will make more money if he signs an extension with the team he is traded to.  And if they lose this, they have no remaining leverage in the negotiations.

It may not matter, however, because Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni see that their young core is something special.  And you better believe that Anthony has too.  He may be more inclined now to wait the season out and join the Knicks in the offseason, where with their current roster, adding him makes them instant championship contenders.

The Carmelo Anthony drama is heating up and a resolution will be reached within the next seven weeks or so.  Amidst all this uncertainty though, one realization is evident: The Knicks will not mortgage their future to obtain another superstar.  And this should come as a comfort to both Knicks players and their fans.

After all, actions speak louder than words.  And Chandler, Fields and Gallinari are speaking volumes no one knew they could reach.