New Jersey Nets Give Up on Carmelo Anthony: What This Means for New York Knicks

The Carmelo Anthony saga has taken yet another turn.

Surprise, surprise.

New Jersey Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov announced at a press conference that he has instructed his team to end its pursuit for star forward Carmelo Anthony.

"Really, I am not happy with the way the deal has gone until now," Prokhorov said. "It has taken too long. It has played out in public. The uncertainty has taken a toll on the players...and I believe it has cost us several games."

Prokhorov's announcement comes a shock to the NBA community because Carmelo Anthony is believed to be exactly what the Nets need to propel themselves to center stage in the NBA as they prepare to move to Brooklyn.

Although it comes as a shock, the decision by Prokhorov is not unreasonable. The Nets have been caught up in "Melo-drama" for nearly eight months and it is long overdue for the organization to start focusing on the actual game of basketball, as opposed to the business side of it.

Regardless, the Nets appear to be officially out of the running for Carmelo Anthony.  

The Denver Nuggets have seen the deal they thought best fit their needs disappear with the blink of an eye. Now they must go back to square one and shop Carmelo around to the rest of the league.

What does all of this mean for the Knicks?

The window of opportunity is officially open.

It is debatable whether or not the best package the Nets can put together is that much better than what the Knicks can offer.

However, that is no longer the focus of the Knicks' approach to obtaining Anthony.

It is no longer a competition. The Knicks no longer need to attempt to outbid the Nets for Carmelo. The loss to the Houston Rockets was New York's fourth straight, but they need not panic.

No, from here on out, the Knicks' main focus is to make sure they do not outbid themselves and obtain Anthony for as cheap as they can.

The Nets rejecting Carmelo means one thing: Carmelo rejected the Nets.

There is no way the Nets just walk away from an opportunity to land a player like Anthony. The only reason they pulled out of the running for Anthony is because Anthony made it crystal clear he did not want to be a Net.

Throughout the trade negotiations Carmelo has wanted to make sure he does not come off as the villain or this season's LeBron James. However, we have entered crunch time and he needed to force his hand.

Anthony rejected the Nets, not the other way around. And the way he went about it was simply brilliant.

Carmelo allowed the Nets to make it seem as if it was they who were calling an end to trade discussions, not Anthony.

Make no doubt about it that it was Anthony that ended negotiations.

By Carmelo finally putting an end to a potential blockbuster trade between the Nuggets and Nets, he made it clear that he will become a New York Knick.

Anthony went against the advice of his agents and showed the Nuggets organization that it is not about the money. He wants to be a Knick, regardless of how it happens.

As a result of Anthony finally exerting his leverage, the Knicks are sitting pretty.

New York no longer has a reason to include a package consisting of expiring contracts, first round draft picks and Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari or Landry Fields in exchange for Anthony.

Knicks GM Donnie Walsh is now going to go back to the drawing board and put together a low-ball offer for Carmelo Anthony.

And if the Nuggets don't like it, then they can trade Anthony to a contending team as a rental for the rest of the season, after which Carmelo will sign with New York, or they can hold onto him and lose him to New York via free agency while getting nothing in return.

Expect Walsh to put in an offer consisting of the expiring contracts of Eddy Curry and Kelenna Azuibike, along with Bill Walker and a first-round draft pick or two.

A package such as the former nowhere near matches Anthony's value, but why should Walsh give Denver the world when they can wait and sign Anthony while losing nothing via free agency?

All along Denver has tried to avoid dealing with New York. Had they accepted reality earlier, they may have been able to extract valuable assets such as Gallinari, Chandler or Fields from New York.

That ship has sailed.

Denver wasted their efforts in constructing a trade with New Jersey, and now those efforts have proved to be fruitless.  

Just as the package they will be forced to accept from the Knicks in exchange for Anthony will be.