Rumours remain around Carmelo Anthony and trade to east conference
Validity of rumours
There has been much speculation surrounding three-time All star Carmello Anthony and his desire to be traded from the Denver Nuggets. It’s widely known that Anthony and his representatives are in the midst of seeking out a trade even though he has never
explicitly mentioned his intentions in public for fear of being fined by the NBA.
When asked about the trade rumours, Carmelo’s answer was expectedly vague, “anything can happen.” It seems as though Anthony is trying to keep all doors open but his unwillingness to sign the three-year, $64m contract offered to him by the Nuggets in the
summer is the most telling evidence that Anthony wants out.
The rumours have been getting more attention of late due to Anthony’s excellent pre-season play that saw him start with a 24-minute, 24-point performance in the pre-season opener and a near triple-double in his latest game against the L.A. Clippers.
Strained relations
The Denver Post has reported that Anthony has made it clear to the Nugget’s organization of his desires to go to the east but has been continually frustrated by the Nugget’s inability to strike a deal with an eastern conference team, most likely New York
Knicks, New Jersey Nets, or Chicago Bulls.
Anthony has continually reassured the public that his relationship with the Nugget’s organization remains solid and he praised the newly appointed VP of basketball operations Masai Ujiri for keeping him “in the loop” with regards to negotiations.
“Masai has been doing a great job of communicating whatever is going on out there.” Anthony went on to explain that the importance of communication and of being involved saying, “He’s been letting me know what’s going on, and he’s been going about it the
right way. There is an open line and communication. That’s a key.”
What the future holds
At this moment it looks like Anthony is almost guaranteed to open the season in a Nugget’s jersey but it is highly unlikely that he’ll end it in one.
When asked why he remains so vague concerning rumours of trade, he replied, “I have my reasons why I am keeping my options open,” adding, “…People that really know basketball, know the sport and know the business of basketball, understand and know why I’d
be keeping my options open.”
Anthony’s desire to be traded seems to have caught the Nugget organization off guard and their strong footing in the western conference may be jeopardized by trading Anthony. More than likely a trade with an eastern conference team will result in an import
of young players, expiring contracts, and draft picks which will undoubtedly destabilize the team and call for some rebuilding.
When the trade occurs, the West will be losing a 2008-09 Western Conference Finalist and a team which had the ability to contend for the 2009-2010 title. The Nuggets, with seven consecutive play-off appearances and three straight 50-plus-win seasons, will
more than likely lose some of their power in the West. In this way the trade will not only affect the Nuggets and whoever Anthony is traded to, but will also affect the entire west conference and will likely cause some amount of shuffling in the rankings.
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