Carmelo Anthony: Knicks or Nets? Trade remains undecided
New Jersey Nets and Denver Nuggets resume talks on Carmelo Anthony trade once again. This was least expected. After the sizzling news has cooled off and there is just a week left in the NBA trade deadline, the Nuggets have re-opened the trade chapter again.
It has been disclosed by a source that the talks have been going on since a week now and the source shared that the discussion is progressing. Although the precise package remains a secret, the addition of Derrick Favors to the talk is still intact. Not
only Favors, the other draft picks will also go along in the deal. The Anthony to Nets deal consisted of Anthony’s trade to the Nets. It also involved exchange of Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton to New Jersey. Had the deal been done, the Nuggets would
have received Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, and Anthony Morrow along with a number of other draft picks. There were also talks about Renaldo Balkman who could have also have come to the Nuggets and they might also have brought back rookie Damion James.
Anthony’s deal between Nuggets and Nets had closed on a ‘no-deal’ after the NBA All-Star forward took too long a time in deciding whether he wanted to be with the Nets or not. The Nets franchise owner got fed-up of the whole dilemma and cut the deal by dismissing
the scheduled meeting between the teams. Back then Mikhael Prokhorov had said, “It’s been too long and too expensive.”
Now the main thing is that Anthony’s decision about accepting a $65 million, three year long contract extension with the Nets is still unknown.
The player has been showing a white flag to the New York Knicks regarding the trade but also wants to make a confirmed extension before the trade deadline ends on 24 February. The Knicks have also been showing interest in the trade but haven’t yet shown
much speculation on which players and picks would go to the player’s current team after the deal.
In the meanwhile, Anthony is concentrating on his performance. The player averaged a whopping 35.4 points in five games after 4 February and even tied his season-high 50 points in a clash against Houston Rockets on 7 February. The 26-year-old scored 38 in
a win over the Milwaukee Bucks on 16 February.
The whole scenario has become a little frustrating for the ace himself with the passage of time. The player has distanced himself from the rest of the team and that has been happening throughout the season. He has also been showing resistance in conversations
with Nuggets coach George Karl. By doing so he has left league officials in doubt whether he will consider extending his contract with Denver or not? An official even so much so as said, “With the way he’s distanced himself from the team, the organization,
they’re kidding themselves if they think he’s signing a new deal. He hasn’t checked out on the season because he never checked in.”
The Nuggets is combining Melo and Chauncey Billups into a package for the Knicks. The two would come in place of Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, and Eddy Curry whose contract is expiring along with a draft pick. Another source also shared the information
that Nuggets are also in pursuit of Landry Fields and Timofey Mozgov in the deal.
With the story taking a new turn every day, the trade talks keep rounding and rounding and are making Melo’s trade speculation even more dramatic.
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