NBA Free Agency Rumors: The New York Knicks Won't Budge
Carmelo's trade rumor filled season has become more of a disaster than the LeBron free agency summer.
Granted, Carmelo's 15 weeks of Internet Google fame will not end in a "Decision" that leaves Denver in tears and the rest of the country in anger, but since this whole rumor filled story has carried on for so long, I don't know why any of us continue to care about it. At least LeBron had the decency to leave his in the offseason.
But yet here I am again writing another Carmelo Anthony article. The difference is this time I think the best answer for both him and Denver is to stay put in a Nuggets uniform.
The Knicks Won't Budge
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You ever remember the time when someone older convinced you to trade them your dime for their nickel because the nickel was larger in size?
The Knicks offer looks great for New York but awful on Denver's side.
If I am Denver, I set my demand as a first round pick, Landry Fields or Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, and Eddy Curry's expiring contract. If New York says this is too much, then I would say, "Well tough luck, enjoy first and at best second round exits out East for the next five years."
Wilson Chandler and Eddy Curry's expiring contracts are not enough for one of the league's top players.
In this case, less is more.
The Extension Means a Whole Lot More Money For Melo
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Players say that championships are what matters, which I do believe they mean, but money does still mean a lot.
When is the last time you can remember a Carmelo Anthony commercial? The only one that comes to mind for me was a Nike Air Jordan ad that ran around a few seasons ago.
Other than that, all I've got is the numerous times I see the Caramello candy bar near the grocery store checkout line and wonder why haven't they dropped the extra "a" and "l" and placed Carmelo's face on the wrapper?
A three year, 65 million dollar extension is a big deal. If there is a new salary cap, which there most likely will be, this is a huge deal.
Let me explain with the next slide; if you're not into salary cap stuff skip over it.
Millions at Stake Between Signing Extension With Nuggets and Signing With Knicks
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Let's say the NBA introduces a hard salary cap (which is almost certain to happen), but they are generous enough to make the magic number 60 million dollars instead of say 45 or 50.
The Knicks will enter into the offseason with 42.5 million on the books. This means at most they could offer Carmelo a contract at 17.5 million first year and maybe load it heavier year after year like they did with Amare.
The contract they could offer Carmelo would be somewhere in the four year 70-75 million range. But the key word is could. Tying up 40 million a year between Amare and Carmelo would mean that in two years when Landry Fields, Danilo Gallinari, and Raymond Felton are all free agents, they would be attempting to sign them and seven other plays all for under 20 million. Maybe they would use the remaining 20 million to sign Chris Paul and finally have the new "Wedding Toast Three".
However, by signing the extension now with the Nuggets, the three year 65 million is guaranteed. In the hard cap salary world or if he wants to play for a contender, his price range may fall at 15 million a year. Even for NBA players, that 20 extra million is a huge deal.
The Lakers Trade Is Not Real
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So the answer to Dwight Howard going off for 31 and 13 is to trade away your only true starting center?
Boston has had consistent injuries at center, but if healthy, will have the best front-court in the league, Miami has no bigs, San Antonio has a few, Dallas and Oklahoma City are limited. The Lakers need to keep Bynum to either combat other teams strength or expose their big man weakness.
Of the trades, Denver probably gets the most out of this one by bringing in the young Bynum, but their focus should be on keeping Nene.
Reading and even writing about Carmelo in Los Angeles is fun and awesome to imagine that team going up against the Celtics or Heat, but let me put it to you as clearly as I possibly can: it's not going to happen.
As for the offseason, if a hard cap is put in place, the Lakers may only be able to hang onto Kobe, Gasol, and Bynum, let alone have room to sign another big name.
West Will Be Easier Route Than East for Next Five Years
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The Heat are only going to get better. The Bulls are one quality shooting guard away from being really scary. Dwight Howard has another 10 years, at least, left in him down in Orlando. The Celtics still have two years with this core and then years after with Rondo running the point. The Knicks are incredibly young and getting better, whereas the Hawks are no slouch. Oh, not to mention the 76ers have a whole roster full of young guys who are starting to gel.
The West has an extremely veteran Spurs team, a 30+ year old Lakers team, a Mavericks team with a 32-year-old superstar and a near 38-year-old point guard. There are young talented teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trailblazers (if ever could stay healthy), and Los Angeles Clippers, if they can keep the Griffin/Gordon tandem in tact.
When Kobe retires, a huge void will open up in the Eastern playoffs. Melo should stick around to fill it in Denver.
Denver Nuggets Are Still a Good Team
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The Knicks have blamed some of their recent less than stellar performances on their team not being focused because of all the Carmelo speculation.
If that is the case for a team on the very outside of the storm, then look at how well Denver has handled it being right in the middle. They are only one game behind New Orleans for the five seed out West and on pace to win 47 games.
If Carmelo signs the extension I've got to believe they will play even better.
They Can Build Around Carmelo Without Rebuilding
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Re-sign J.R. Smith, keep Nene, bring in maybe Marc Gasol and let Kenyon Martin go somewhere else.
As for Chauncey Billups, if they choose to re-sign him, he will be much cheaper than his current 14 million a year price tag.
The Nuggets would still have cap room to sign someone else or even free space up to go after Chris Paul later on.
Draft well, sign well, and suddenly, the Nuggets have a legitimate team without having to go through a long rebuilding phase.
Besides, Losing Carmelo Anthony In Free Agency Is Not the End Of the World
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A lot has been made about how Denver can't afford to wait around, not sign Carmelo to an extension, not get something for him in a trade, and then lose him in the offseason.
The thing is, the NBA somewhat protects teams from situations like this. If,say, the Knicks were to sign Carmelo this summer for 17 million a year, the Nuggets could work out the sign and trade and get 17 million dollars in trade exemption.
What this could mean is the Nuggets go out with that 17 million dollars and sign a Zach Randolph, along with a decent small forward.
Randolph and Nene down low with Chauncey running the point, Smith at the shooting guard would probably still be a playoff team. Yes, there's a glaring gap at Carmelo's spot, but the trade exemption will allow them to not come away completely empty handed.
Nuggets Can Still Preach Loyalty to Carmelo
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Carmelo has been treated well in Denver, even when he said he wanted to play elsewhere.
The Nuggets organization can explain to Melo how hard they worked this year to make him happy by exploring every trade out there.
Once he signs the extension, they can continue to show this by bringing him talent a la Lakers a few years ago with Kobe and give Melo the team that could win a title.
The answer is not where should Carmelo go; the answer is stay in Denver.
