Carmelo Anthony Trade: Nuggets, Nets Reach Tentative Deal for Anthony

The Carmelo Anthony trade drama may soon be over, but now that all rests on the shoulders of Carmelo Anthony.

The Denver Nuggets have tentatively agreed to trade their superstar forward to the New Jersey Nets for players and draft picks.  Denver would send Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Sheldon Williams, Melvin Ely and Renaldo Balkman to New Jersey in exchange for Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, Troy Murphy, Ben Uzoh and four first-round draft picks.  The (New Jersey) Record first broke the story on Friday afternoon.

However, the only obstacle now standing in the way of the deal is Carmelo Anthony himself.  The deal in contingent upon Anthony signing a three-year, $65 million extension with the Nets.

While it looks like this soap opera may soon come to an end, there is a strong chance that this may continue to drag out.

It is widely believed that Anthony wants to go to the New York Knicks.  The Knicks are the premier team in the premier city in the United States.  Also, he was born in Brooklyn so playing in New York would be more like a homecoming than anything else.

The Knicks know that Carmelo Anthony wants to be there and they have been offering less than desirable pieces to the Nuggets in exchange for his services.  Instead of giving Anthony away for peanuts, Denver is being extremely smart in finding another suitor for Carmelo.  Even better, the other suitor is right down the road from the Knicks and will soon be playing in Anthony's birthplace.

The Nets' offer is quite good.  They would be giving up the third overall pick in last year's NBA Draft in Favors and one of the best young point guards in the game in Harris.  In the meantime, the big name that the Knicks are throwing out is Landry Fields, a second-round pick in last year's draft.

If Carmelo Anthony were to sign the extension with New Jersey, he would have to play on a team that could be considered being in a rebuilding mode.  With the big name moves this past off-season, it's apparent that the stars without rings want to win immediately.  Not signing the extension and waiting for the Knicks to pony up would eventually team him up with another superstar in Amare Stoudemire and give them a chance to be extremely competitive in the Eastern Conference.

Anthony has the chance to go back home right now and that appears to be important to him, even though he wouldn't be under Manhattan's bright lights.  The choice is up to him.

 

© Ryan Desmarais 2011

 

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