Denver Nuggets Need To See Light of Day, Trade Carmelo Sooner Rather Than Later

There is a distinct possibility that the Denver Nuggets are pulling the wool over everyone's eyes and simply playing honest poker with everyone in the league with their biggest poker chip, Carmelo Anthony.

Maybe they think that the closer the trading deadline gets, the more likely teams will up their ante to get Carmelo Anthony.

He is after all one of the top eight players in the league, and if history, much less sports history, has shown anything, there is a sucker born every minute.

But in all probability, what is going on right now is that the Nuggets aren't waking up to the reality of the situation.

Carmelo Anthony is as gone as a person can be while still presently being there.

He made up his mind sometime around last summer's free agency, probably influenced not only by LeBron's decision to forgo being the best player in the biggest market city in the NBA, but also the desire of his draft classmates to play with another superstar, which in Carmelo's eyes would be Amar'e.

Whether or not teams not named the Knicks still foolishly believe they can get Carmelo to sign an extension even though he has expressly said otherwise should be of no concern to the Nuggets.

All they should care about is getting the best offer available for him, which may not be much, but it is certainly better than getting nothing at all.

At one point Derrick Favors was offered up by the Nets. Now, as it stands, there is a rumored three-way with the Knicks and Minnesota, in which the best player the Nuggets would currently get is Wilson Chandler.

Let's stop and pause for a moment. So, a few weeks ago, the Nuggets could have gotten an up and coming big man with loads of potential and instead seem willing to settle for a player whose a 3rd option on offense at best?

Things don't look good.

If I'm the Nuggets, I re-enter into trade talks with every team out there that can use a Carmelo. And a lot of teams will be interested...at the right price.

For example, let's take the Lakers. Would they be interested in renting Carmelo, knowing full well he will more likely than not leave in the summer, at the expense of Andrew Bynum?

And if the Lakers might be interested in getting Carmelo, wouldn't a team that also is a championship contender be interested in seeing what the cost would be to thwart that from happening.

The point is, the Nuggets shouldn't let Carmelo dictate their fate anymore than he already has. 

They need to trade him for the best offer they can get, and they had better do it soon.

Because, as it seems from an outsiders point of view, the offers have been getting progressively worse instead of better.

Maybe that has to do with the louder chirps coming from Carmelo's camp that he isn't willing to re-sign anywhere but New York.

In any case, chicken is a dangerous game to play. And what a shame it would be if all the Nuggets were left with was an egg.

Then again, it may not be that much worse than Wilson Chandler.