Carmelo Anthony Trade Rumors: 10 Reasons He Is Ticketed for New York
The "MeloDrama Trade Saga" continues moving on with added emphasis now on the New York Knicks and Carmelo Anthony.
New Jersey Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov has pronounced his team out of the running, citing the expense of the deal and the impact it was having on his team, as the main reasons why.
There is no shortage of intrigue, as the NBA trade deadline continues to draw closer and there is expected to be a lot of activity.
New York has a few weaknesses that need to be addressed, but the pursuit of Melo will be the most publicized of them all until it is finally settled.
Here are 10 reasons why Carmelo Anthony is destined to be a New York Knick.
10. The Knicks Are Losing
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The New York Knicks are 22-19 on the year, good enough for sixth in the Eastern Conference.
They have lost four straight games and are 4-6 in their last 10, scoring less than 90 points in two of those four games.
While Amar'e is doing what he can, the Knicks deficiencies on defense and on the depth chart are catching up with them.
Point guard Raymond Felton has failed to score 20 in his last three games, Wilson Chandler has gone over 20 just once in his last five games, and Danilo Gallinari is just returning from an injury that cost him six games.
In short, the Knicks are run down and these guys play a lot of minutes.
9. The Nets Are Out, Reportedly
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The Nets have decided to pull themselves out of the race.
The top contender to land Carmelo, the Nets and Nuggets were close, but couldn't finalize anything.
New Jersey would have gutted their current roster to bring Melo in and the overall expense to the franchise, and owner Mikhail Prokhorov, was too steep for their liking.
With New Jersey out of the way, the Knicks take the top contender all for themselves.
8. The Knicks Are Better But They Aren’t There Yet
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New York has made a big splash this season by becoming a legitimately fun team to watch with the chance to win almost any game they play.
Yet for all their improvement so far this season, they are hardly a title contender, let alone a contender for the conference.
Amar'e Stoudemire and Raymond Felton have been excellent additions to Mike D'Antoni's offense.
Young players Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, and Landry Fields have all made big strides.
The Knicks though, are rather terrible defensively, and their starters play a ton of minutes.
Needs at backup point guard and center are extremely evident.
While Carmelo does not solve either of those needs, he does make an improving young team better.
7. Donne Walsh
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The man made it possible for the Knicks to have a shot at two max free agents this offseason, a feat that seemed nearly impossible for a team so ravaged by the atrocious decision making of Isiah Thomas for so long.
As the Knicks continue to improve, its Walsh's moves at the controls that have been the driving force of the New York resurgence.
Anything is certainly possible with Donnie Walsh running the show and there is little doubt that if he really wants to acquire the necessary pieces for Carmelo, he will.
6. Time Is On Their Side
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As the trade deadline nears, and the threat of Carmelo signing a contract extension only with the New York Knicks, Denver losses leverage on what they want.
Certainly the Nuggets will only deal if the price is right and they do still have that power, but if the deal is just good enough, in the face of an impending lockout, Carmelo should get his wish of leaving Denver.
New York can risk waiting for Carmelo in free agency at season's end but they will likely make an offer as good as possible to get it done before the deadline passes since the new CBA will cause them some problems too.
5. A Lot Of Active Teams
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There is expected to be a lot of teams making trades in the coming month.
A lot of big name players have the potential to be moved as teams with a fighting chance at a conference title gear up for the playoffs or others simply looking to bust it all up and start.
Salary cap dumping, talented players with expiring contracts and the threat of the lockout should make for increased activity; the Knicks are no exception.
The trade market will be buzzing with moves to be made, and the Knicks do need help in getting a deal done.
4. Little Activity for Carmelo
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The Carmelo Anthony trade market, without New Jersey, is quite thin.
Rumors have linked him to places such as Chicago, Los Angeles (Clippers), Charlotte and Houston, as teams with that could provide the variables for such a deal.
Chicago, aside from New York, was considered to be the only other real threat.
The kicker is that Carmelo would have to sign a contract extension if any team wanted to pay the hefty price of having him for longer than a half-season rental.
Essentially Carmelo controls his own market for the real future.
3. The Knicks Want Carmelo
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It's no secret New York wants Carmelo Anthony.
He brings a potential 30-point game to New York's offense and would be a great fit for what D'Antoni likes to do.
He is the type of player the franchise wants to develop as a big 1-2 punch with Amar'e for years to come.
His presence, along with the potential growth of Felton or addition of one other superstar point guard, is what could truly bring the Knicks back to dominance.
2. Carmelo Wants the Knicks
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We all know the love between Melo and the New York.
His wife, La La, is from New York, he's from New York, won his National Championship at Syracuse; we get it, he has all the New York ties necessary.
It is Carmelo's dream to go back to New York and play basketball.
1. He Will Sign in New York If Not Traded
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If Carmelo does not get his wish to go to New York via the trade deadline, and he does not get traded to any other team with a contract extension, he will find his way to New York in free agency.
The Knicks would have to do some roster/cap moves, but Donnie Walsh would find a way to be able to give Carmelo the money that he needs, but maybe less than he wants.
This is more of a last option for Carmelo and the Knicks.
Anthony has wisely stated he wants to sign a contract extension under the current CBA, and the likely ramifications of the new CBA would probably cost him about $10 million, and would also likely make if more difficult, possibly even impossible, for New York to offer him a max deal.
However, the max deal could be less as well; we don't know what is going to happen with the new CBA at this point.
All in all, Carmelo and the Knicks want each other, its a matter of how it is going to go down.
