NBA Trade Rumors: Carmelo Anthony, Danilo Gallinari and The Latest NBA Buzz
NBA trade rumors are all over the place, so we're back at it with another day's NBA buzz.
We'll be going back to the Carmelo Anthony saga, which is finally over. Anthony is headed to the New York Knicks, and we'll be breaking it down from every angle, talking about what it means for every team and every player in the deal.
We'll also be going around the league, talking about players like Danilo Gallinari, whose name has been floated around in trade rumors.
There's plenty to talk about as we come off of the All-Star break.
As always, there's no need to refresh, as the updates will come straight to you. If you have any questions or thoughts, leave them in the comments.
There's a lot to cover, so let's get right to it.
Did New York Give Up Too Much for 'Melo?
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It finally happened. Carmelo Anthony is headed to the New York Knicks.
You have most likely seen the deal, but if you haven't, New York sent Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danillo Gallinari and Timofey Mozgov, along with a first-round pick, cash and other assorted draft picks. Denver moved Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Anthony Carter, Reynaldo Balkman and Shelden Williams.
Minnesota got Eddy Curry and Anthony Randolph from New York, while Corey Brewer is headed to the Big Apple.
Do you have all of that?
I have no problem with the players the Knicks gave up. Those players weren't going to win the Knicks a championship, and moving them won't change the fortune of the franchise. However, this means New York will have two max contracts on its books for next year.
Normally, that wouldn't be a problem, but with a new collective bargaining agreement, the salary cap number is going to be lower—we just don't know how much lower.
The problem with this is that these major contracts (that won't be able to be signed a year from now) will be pushing the Knicks against the top of the salary number, and that will give New York major issues when it comes to putting role players around these two superstars in the immediate future.
However, when 2012 rolls around, the Knicks will shed a ton of salary and be able to make a run at a superstar.
This move is a great move, but it's also a great risk.
The same risks are there with Amar'e Stoudemire and his knees, so there are some small question marks on how his knees will hold up into the future. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, but the Knicks had to make this move.
Players like Anthony don't grow on trees, and the Knicks couldn't miss out on him like they did with LeBron James last summer.
Get ready for Wednesday, Knicks fans. It's going to be a show.
Carmelo Anthony may not bring you a championship in the immediate future, but once some of this salary comes off of the books, things will get interesting.
What Is Next in Denver?
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The Denver Nuggets are without a superstar.
Sure, Denver got plenty of pieces in return for Carmelo Anthony, but none of them will provide what the Nuggets lost in this deal.
However, Denver may not be done dealing.
If you listen to reports that are coming out, it looks like it's time to rebuild, as opposed to blowing it up with more moves at the deadline.
The Nuggets are reportedly looking to try and keep Nene, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. There is already an effort to get the big man to sign an extension, as opposed to letting him hit free agency.
Now, Denver has a bunch of assets, so this team's situation will not be like Cleveland's, where the Nuggets just suffer through terrible stretches of basketball with no hope for the future.
While it's not easy to part with a superstar, the Nuggets did what was best for the team.
Not only that, but the team managed to get what it wanted from New York while bargaining from a position of weakness.
There is something to be said for that, and Denver will still be active at the deadline, looking to acquire more assets and get to work on this roster.
It won't be the same without Anthony, but Denver is far from being a lost cause.
Are the Nets Winners or Losers?
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The New Jersey Nets are the forgotten team here.
Depending on who you listen to, Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov is either an evil genius, or a guy that got played by Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets.
As we all remember, the Nets had backed away from the table and decided to no longer pursue Anthony on the trade market.
However, once the New York Knicks got into the fray, and got serious about things, New Jersey came in and put a huge offer on the table before the Knicks stepped up and got Anthony from Denver for more than the team was originally offering.
Now, why would New Jersey get in, unless it honestly believed it had a shot at getting Anthony?
The final verdict is that New Jersey, once again, is second best, an afterthought and a speck on the NBA radar in terms of destinations.
Jay-Z means nothing as a presence in the ownership and a move to Brooklyn means nothing to these players.
The Nets' new home in Brooklyn will not be Madison Square Garden, and the New Jersey Nets are not the New York Knicks.
New Jersey will turn its attention to the summer of 2012, when the Nets will try and land a superstar to move into their new building.
But, wasn't that the plan last summer, when New Jersey pursued LeBron James?
The Nets failed then, and it doesn't look good now.
The players today want to play at the top destinations, and why go to Brooklyn when you can go directly to the Big Apple?
There will be a lot of hope, but in the end, the Nets and their fans are setting themselves up for disappointment. The truth is that Prokhorov got played, and now the Nets look foolish for crawling back into the Anthony sweepstakes, only to be pawns in Denver's game.
It's embarrassing for a man that powerful to be played that badly.
Welcome to the NBA, Mikhail.
Is Denver Still Dealing?
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Even before Denver moved Carmelo Anthony to New York, there were whispers of the Nuggets possibly making moves with the pieces it got in a trade with the Knicks.
Depending on who you listen to, you're hearing a couple of different stories about the future of players like Danilo Gallinari.
Denver's general manager, Masai Ujiri, told NBA.com's David Aldridge that the team traded for these guys to play for the Nuggets, but that may not be the case.
New Jersey was rumored to be in the bidding for some of these players in exchange for draft picks, and ESPN.com's Chris Broussard is reporting that the Nets will be in the bidding for Gallinari, along with teams like the Clippers, Cavaliers and Raptors.
The pieces that Denver got are good pieces, they just aren't great pieces. If New York could expend them, so can Denver, and there are pieces there that could be moved for more assets. The Nuggets already got some picks and could get some more.
Denver cannot stay complacent after making this move, and it looks like the Nuggets are going to be active over the next couple of days. The fans should be happy that the management is looking to avoid Cleveland's fate at all costs.
No one deserves to suffer through that.
Are the Knicks Contenders?
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It's not LeBron James, but I don't see many Knicks fans wishing they could do it over, either.
New York has Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire on the same team after last night's trade, and now the Knicks went from a .500 team that was floating around the middle of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference, to a team that can be very dangerous in the playoffs.
Will this team compete with Boston? That remains to be seen, but there isn't any depth there, and the Knicks are a team that is a piece or two away from being a championship team.
New York is a better team after this deal than it was before it, regardless of how many players are leaving town. Any time you can add one of the top five scorers in this league, you have to do it.
Yes, Anthony gets knocked for his defense, but who needs to play it in Mike D'Antoni's system? The man can fill it up from the outside and can even put you on the block and go to work.
Not only that, but he's a crunch-time assassin who can make the big buckets at big moments.
How many teams can say they have that on their roster?
New York will make the playoffs, and might even have home-court advantage in the first round, if the cards play out right down the stretch.
The Knicks can compete with some of the best in the Eastern Conference.
Remember those days when New York was the laughingstock of the league? Forget them, because the Knicks are back.
Can New Jersey Make a Splash?
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New Jersey may be down after losing out on Carmelo Anthony, but it's not out.
According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, the Nets are exploring every option to try and move on after losing out on LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony in less than a year.
New Jersey is looking to try and get Danilo Gallinari from Denver, but is also looking into a deal with Portland for Andre Miller. The move would possibly include Rudy Fernandez, and would send Devin Harris to the Blazers.
Al Iannazzone of the Bergen Record expands on that deal, saying that New Jersey would send Troy Murphy and a first-round pick for Miller, Joel Pryzbilla and Greg Oden.
However, it's a three-way deal with Dallas and Denver in Iannazzone's piece that is the most intriguing. In this deal, Harris would go back to Dallas, while New Jersey would send two first-round picks to the Nuggets to get Raymond Felton and Timofey Mozgov from Denver and Dallas would send a first-round pick to the Nets.
Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com is saying that this deal is a long shot, but it's something that's worth thinking about. The Mavericks are a team that's always looking to make a splash, and New Jersey cannot stand pat after this latest setback.
The Nets have been overshadowed by the Knicks yet again, and New Jersey needs to do something to try and step out of the perception that the Nets will always be the little brother in the region.
New Jersey will do everything possible to make a deal, but nothing will beat what New York did last night.
I'm not sure Mikhail Prokhorov knew exactly what he was getting into when he bought the Nets.
It will always be an uphill climb towards relevance in the region.
Is Atlanta in the Market for a Point Guard?
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The Atlanta Hawks just took a step back in the Eastern Conference.
No, Atlanta didn't lose anyone on its roster, but the New York Knicks just traded for Carmelo Anthony, and now the Knicks are a better team than the Hawks.
Atlanta wasn't a top team in the playoff picture as it was, and now the Hawks find themselves deeper in the shuffle.
However, the Hawks aren't going to sit back and watch it happen, according to Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. His report says that the Hawks are making the rounds, looking for a point guard to try and push the team closer to being a contender.
Ramon Sessions in Cleveland has been discussed, along with New Jersey's Devin Harris.
We can be honest—Mike Bibby is a decent player, but he's not the guy who can run a team that goes deep into the playoffs at this point of his career.
Bibby's a streaky shooter, and while Sessions would form a nice combo with Bibby, Harris would be a guy that would make the Hawks a very intriguing team with Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Al Horford.
It would be interesting to see what New Jersey would want for him.
Harris' deal isn't bad, and a guy like Marvin Williams and other pieces could make it work, but that won't get the job done for a guy like Harris.
Then again, the package that Portland reportedly is discussing for Harris wouldn't be much better, so you never know.
The Hawks have a lot of talent, but haven't been able to get over the top. Not only that, but Atlanta has just come out some nights and not shown up.
Putting a guy like Harris in the fold would add new life and energy into the team and make Atlanta an intriguing team going into the playoffs.
Atlanta wouldn't contend, but the Hawks could scare some of the top teams in the East.
Is Caron Butler Going To Stay in Dallas?
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Caron Butler was a big part of the reason the Dallas Mavericks were so successful in the early part of the season.
Butler went down with an injury that could sideline him for the rest of the season, and with his contract expiring at the end of the year, he has become a guy who people could see Mark Cuban moving for help at the deadline.
Dallas is one of the best teams in the league and has a great chance to compete for a championship.
Butler told ESPNDallas.com that he could see himself being traded, but believes he will stay with the team and re-sign after the season. However...
...who is available at the deadline that would warrant trading Butler's contract?
A guy like Andre Iguodala isn't going anywhere, Carmelo Anthony has been traded and there are no other dynamic players available as we get closer to the trade deadline.
Dallas looks like a team that shouldn't make a move just to make something happen as we head towards the playoffs.
Cuban is a guy who loves to make a splash, but he's also a smart businessman. He knows that he has a good thing here and that he can't mess it up.
Sure, Devin Harris is a possible option, but where does he fit into the equation with the roster as it is?
Dallas will stick with what it has and will see what happens down the stretch.
Butler shouldn't worry about having to change zip codes.
Will Boston Add Depth at the Deadline?
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The Boston Celtics are the best team in the Eastern Conference.
However, there's always room for improvement.
Boston has some issues with depth, and with that in mind, the Celtics are hitting the market, looking for help, especially when it comes to adding support for Paul Pierce.
Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe is reporting that the Celtics are targeting guys like Anthony Parker in Cleveland, along with Roger Mason, Josh Howard and Dahntay Jones.
On top of that, ESPN.com's Marc Stein is reporting that Boston and Houston talked about a deal for Shane Battier.
If Boston could get Battier, that would be a monster pickup for the Celtics.
Boston is already a great defensive team, and adding a guy like Battier, who can guard star players and do an effective job, would put the Celtics in a position where they would be the automatic favorites in the East.
However, Battier makes $7.35 million this year, making it a little bit harder for Boston to make a swap for him.
Guys like Jermaine O'Neal could be used to get him, but why would Houston want a player like him? There are other pieces out there that the Celtics could package, so it's not totally hopeless.
I don't see Battier heading to Boston, but I see the Celtics certainly making a move for a smaller piece before the deadline. There is a need there, and Boston will address it.
You can't stand pat right now if you're trying to win a championship and you know your window is closing.
Is Tayshaun Prince Staying Put?
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Tayshaun Prince is staying in Detroit.
You may ask how I can be so definitive with that statement. Well, just ask Prince himself.
Matt Dery of CBS Detroit tweeted this exchange with Prince.
Prince: I'm not going anywhere.
Question: So you are not being traded?
Prince: No.
Question: How do you know?
Prince: Because I know.
Well, then. I guess that about does it in Detroit.
With the Pistons sale still taking place, the money is locked up and Joe Dumars doesn't have much wiggle room in terms of making a move.
Prince's contract is expiring, and while that's valuable, it's not something he is able to move because of its value in the offseason.
Not only that, but Richard Hamilton is more of a trade chip than Prince, and no one is going to take on his big contract down the stretch, especially before a possible lockout and a new collective bargaining agreement.
However, Prince needs to go after the season. He told Chris Iott of MLive.com that winning 15 or 16 games to make the playoffs was "pretty much impossible."
Is that the attitude you want on your team?
Prince has been nothing short of a petulant crybaby since things started to turn sour in Detroit, and the Pistons and Prince cannot wait to be done with this marriage.
I don't think either one will miss the pairing when it's all said and done.
Is Danilo Gallinari Still on the Trading Block?
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Danilo Gallinari doesn't look like he'll be in Denver for long.
According to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com, the Los Angeles Clippers have floated a first-round pick the team got from Minnesota for Gallinari. The pick is top-10 protected in 2011 and unprotected in 2012.
Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld.com is reporting that Gallinari's "people" would like to send him to Los Angeles to team up with Blake Griffin, or bring him back east to play in New Jersey.
Gallinari is a guy that can rain down the three-point shot, but also has some serious problems with consistency. It would be a great move for the Clippers, who could use a scorer, especially from the perimeter. Eric Gordon was that guy, and he's been out with a wrist injury.
Gallinari could be deadly with Griffin drawing attention in the middle and Gordon making plays from the outside (when he gets back from his injury).
Denver is certainly going to explore every option after trading Carmelo Anthony, and the Nuggets are clearly collecting assets. A draft choice or two could pry Gallinari away from Denver and help both teams out in the long haul.
Keep your eyes on the news coming out of Denver, because the Nuggets are looking like they will be making some serious moves before the deadline.
How Will the New Knicks Look on the Court?
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There is no denying how good Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire are, but was there dissension in the ranks in New York?
According to Peter Vecsey of the New York Post, head coach Mike D'Antoni did not want Anthony, especially with the Knicks giving up as many players as they did to get him.
"Mike is well aware Stoudemire and Anthony are not a good fit," said a D'Antoni confidant in the report. "At either end.''
On offense, both are guys who command the ball and need it in their hands. But, if LeBron James and Dwyane Wade can make it work, so can Anthony and Stoudemire.
However, defense is the major concern here. But, when has a D'Antoni team ever played defense?
It gets worse though, as we know Donnie Walsh did not back this move, based simply off of his public comments urging patience.
Vecsey's report ends with a chilling statement that, if this experiment fails, Isiah will blame management, claiming that he can be the guy to fix the mess when, in reality, it was his plan to make the move.
In the end, this is a worst-case scenario.
In reality, these two should be able to play together with limited issues as they work their skill sets together on the court.
There will be some growing pains, as we saw with the Miami Heat. However, D'Antoni's wide-open offensive system should ease some of those issues.
These guys are pure scorers. While the Knicks may take another hit on the defensive end, this isn't a team that preaches defense to begin with.
New York has two top scorers, and will be able to slug it out with the best teams in the league.
All New York needs is to gather some role players over the coming years, and we will have a title contender on our hands.
Is a Deal in the Works in Cleveland?
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According to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, multiple NBA people told him the Cleveland Cavaliers have a big deal in place. Amico later clarified that those people heard there is a deal in place, but none knew what it was.
When LeBron James left this summer, the Cavs were left with a $14.5 million trade exception. So, if that deal is in place, either a major player—or a couple of players—are coming over to Cleveland.
If you sit here and speculate about a team that might be willing to try and shed some salary, a team like the Charlotte Bobcats would make a lot of sense.
Charlotte has been the center of rumors that involved Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson, and HoopsWorld.com said that Charlotte might be looking to shed some money at the deadline.
With a possible lockout and a new collective bargaining agreement coming, the Bobcats might want to try and keep costs as low as possible with an unknown cap figure in the future.
Now, that's nothing more than pure speculation, but it will certainly be interesting to see what, if anything, Cleveland does at the deadline.
It has been no secret that the Cavs want to try and do something before Thursday. If something comes through, it could really inject some energy into the franchise after this past summer.
However, don't expect Gilbert to follow through on that promise to win a title before LeBron.
Is Charlotte Working The Market?
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Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News tweeted that the Charlotte Bobcats have put Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace on the block, with Wallace more likely to be the guy moved by the deadline.
The Bobcats aren't going anywhere, even though the team has played better with Paul Silas on the bench instead of Larry Brown. It will be interesting to see who makes a play for the two players. A team like Dallas could use a swingman and maybe the Mavericks try and make a move for one of the guys before Thursday.
Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio tweeted that he heard that Cleveland may have a deal on the table using its large trade exception after LeBron James left this past summer. Maybe the Cavaliers, who have reportedly been testing the market, try and make a move for a scorer to team up with J.J. Hickson. Both Jackson and Wallace are guys that could bump a top team up the food chain and there are plenty of teams that would like to have guys of their caliber.
Charlotte isn't going to just give them away, so the Bobcats will need to have a savings on the other end, plus getting some talent. Only time will tell what the Bobcats' plans are. Hopefully Michael Jordan does his due diligence before pulling the trigger on any move. We know his record and some of his greatest hits when it comes to personnel decisions, and it's not pretty.
Is Oklahoma City Looking For a Big Man?
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The Oklahoma City could use a big man.
That was obvious last year in the playoffs when the Thunder couldn't get the big rebounds in the big moments. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, Oklahoma City is taking a look at Memphis' Hasheem Thabeet. However, the Thunder would only want him if they could get him for a decent price at the deadline.
Thabeet is a guy who has been nothing short of a bust in his short time at the pro level and at one point was sent to the D-League. Not only that, but for his talent level, he's vastly overpaid and not many teams are interested in taking him on. If I'm Oklahoma City, I'm looking long and hard at Marcus Camby in Portland. Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports tweeted that the Blazers are expected to move him before the deadline.
Camby has threatened to retire if he's moved, but if Portland calls his bluff, the Thunder could be a great landing spot for him. The big man is coming off of an injury, but if he's healthy, he's a guy who can give the Thunder a ton of toughness inside and play some great defense.
The pairing makes so much sense for both sides, but it will be interesting to see what the Thunder do over the next couple of days.
Is Richard Hamilton On His Way Out in Detroit?
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Richard Hamitlon isn't happy in Detroit.
We all know that Hamilton has been on a wild ride this year and it's been a continuation of something that has been brewing for years. Hamilton has seen his role reduced thanks to the presence of guys like Allen Iverson and Ben Gordon and it's come to a feud with coach John Kuester.
Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports went on WEEI radio today and said that Hamilton could possibly take a buyout, giving Detroit back a lot of the money owed him in order to get out of a situation that has become toxic this season.
If that happens, Spears said the Celtics could be a team to look out for as someone who could pick the guard up to back up Ray Allen. Could you imagine the Celtics with Allen and Hamilton doing what they do best all game long? Those two players are amazing without the ball and Hamilton would be a nightmare playing off of the guys that Boston can run out there every night.
Detroit can't do much at the deadline and I can't see Joe Dumars making a move with Hamilton at this juncture. Then again, if he's stupid enough to suggest that he wants to bring back Tayshaun Prince, I guess anything is possible.
