Camelo Anthony Trade Rumors: How Knicks Are Using Nets to Outsmart Denver Nuggets

Carmelo Anthony may be a superstar, but if the Knicks go through with their current trade offer it will be a super-bust.

New York has a current offer on the table that sends Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Eddy Curry and a first round pick to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Anthony, Chauncey Billups and fillers.

Can you say overkill?

The Knicks would be completely gutting their roster if they proceed with this trade. 

Alright, “proceed” is a little too strong of a word.  Denver still needs to accept this offer before anything happens further.

However, it is rumored that the Nuggets also want the Knicks to include Landry Fields and/or Timofey Mozgov in the current package.

Is Denver serious?

There are only two or three players in the league that would be worth a team initiating a complete roster upheaval, and Anthony just isn’t one of them.

The entire league is in agreement that Denver’s asking price for Anthony is “monumental,” yet I find myself being more frustrated with the Knicks than the Nuggets.

Why?

Anthony isn’t worth what the Knicks would be giving up.  New York will be losing three starters in this deal, possibly more if Denver gets their way.

Yes, the Knicks would finally get a second superstar to pair alongside Amar’e Stoudemire, but their supporting cast would be as or even more depleted than the Miami Heat’s.

Billups has seen the best of his days, and you could not find a more terrible fit for the point guard position in coach Mike D’Antoni’s system than him.

Felton is a floor general, while Billups is a shoot-first, slow moving point guard.

After Billups, you are left with Mozgov and Fields.  Both are still growing and have the potential to be very effective role players.  Fields, arguably, already is.

But after Fields and Mozgov, it gets more than dicey.  And let's not forget the Nuggets are going to try and insist they be a part of the Knicks package for Anthony as well.

Kelenna Azuibike, if he ever gets fully healthy, can help the Knicks, but who knows how he will fair after not playing for over year.

Shawne Williams and Bill Walker have been stellar this season, but they are playing at their peak.  New York cannot expect many more contributions from either of them.

Overall, it seems that the Knicks current offer shows that they have reached the point of desperation.

Or have they?

The general consensus is that the Knicks are worried that the Nets are major players again, which is why they upped their offer.

But once the dust settles and you move past your frustration over the Knicks desperateness, you come to a realization: Something isn't right here. 

Anthony is not going to sign an extension with New Jersey no matter what he says publicly.  He has been trying to save face throughout this entire ordeal and he does not want to show the Nets any disrespect.

Everything that New York is doing know is just posturing.

New Jersey’s offer that centers around Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, and four first round picks may be a legitimate offer.  I’m assuming it is.  But by the Nets making this offer and Denver going public with it, the Knicks are actually at an advantage.

New York knows that Anthony will not sign an extension with New Jersey.  And sooner or later the Nets are going to publicly come clean about Anthony refusing to sign with them.

Denver is hoping that they can ultimately “force,” for lack of a better word, Anthony to sign with New Jersey.  But they cannot.

Yet, New York's latest offer seems to indicate that they have hit the panic button.

But it’s just a facade.

The Knicks are using their latest offer to show Denver and Anthony how committed they are to getting the superstar.  But when things with New Jersey officially go south, and believe me, they will, New York’s latest offer will be removed from the table.

The potential Anthony to New Jersey scenario may have even already imploded.

Reports indicate that a meeting took place between Anthony and the Nets yesterday afternoon.  And multiple sources have described Anthony as being "non-committal" throughout the meeting.

With New Jersey out of the picture, the Knicks will gain leverage over the Nuggets.  They will be able to show Denver that they were willing to give the world for Anthony, but Denver waited too long.

And at that point, the Knicks will officially withdraw their current offer and put in a new one that appeals even less to the Nuggets.

Expect New York to offer something similar to the trade discussed last week involving the Minnesota Timberwolves where the Knicks send Anthony Randolph and Curry to the T-Wolves and Chandler, along with Minnesota's first round pick, to the Nuggets.

The Knicks could also decide to do something more drastic and replace Chandler with the likes of Azuibike and maybe one or two other small pieces to give Denver only immediate financial relief and nothing else.

In addition, at that point, Anthony can officially say to Denver he will not sign the extension with any team other than New York, without being chastised.

Anthony will be able to tell the Nuggets front office that the Knicks had a much better offer on the table previously and it’s not his fault Denver did not accept it.  

And then Denver will have a decision to make.

Do they trade Anthony for instant cap/luxury tax savings and a draft pick?

Or do they hold on to him and risk losing him for nothing via free-agency?

It’s a decision that Denver would prefer not to make, yet it's an easy one to make.  The Nuggets can simply not risk Anthony walking away.

Many, including Anthony himself, have said that him re-signing with the Nuggets is still a viable option.  But the fact is that Anthony has burned too many bridges with Denver’s front office and their fans to play for them any longer.

And with the Nets out of the picture, this leaves the Knicks as the only potential suitors for Anthony.

So New York fans, do not say your goodbyes to Gallinari and the rest of the Knicks young core just yet, because most, if not all, of them are not going anywhere.

Of course, I could be wrong.

The Knicks may in fact be incredibly desperate and allow Denver to win this game of chicken.

But it's not likely.

Knicks president and general manager Donnie Walsh is team-managing genius.  I am confident he will not gut the roster to obtain Anthony.

New York’s current offer is more likely than not an attempt to justify what comes next.

And what comes next is that they re-adjust their offer for Anthony and force Denver into a corner by giving them an ultimatum: This is what we are offering now.  You had your chance to get more, but you took too long.  Take it or leave it.

Denver will have to accept what ever the Knicks offer unless they think what happened to the Cavaliers this past summer looked like fun.

The Nuggets asking price for Anthony is steep to say the least.  

But Walsh is a master of his craft and is positioning the Knicks very deliberately.

As a result, New York may be able to obtain Anthony for a fraction of Denver's cost.

The Knicks and their fans will breathe a sigh of relief at such a victory, knowing that it is only the beginning.

Knowing that more great things are sure to follow.