All this Nets talk may be premature, as the Knicks are reportedly scheduling another meeting with Anthony, this time including Donnie Walsh.
Also, according to Anthony, there is no meeting scheduled with the Nets at this point:
"If I was to meet with that guy [Prokhorov] to be honest I really don't know what I would say," he told reporters at an NBA Cares Day of Service event in Los Angeles today.
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The Bergen Record is reporting that, according to sources (of course), the Nets and Nuggets have tentatively agreed to a deal for Carmelo Anthony. One of the only roadblocks is getting Anthony to say "yes" to signing an extension.
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| "Tentatively," this is Melo's new look. |
Nets receive: Melo, Chauncey Billups, Sheldon Williams, Melvil Ely and Renaldo Balkman.
Nuggets receive: Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, Troy Murphy, Ben Uzoh and four first-round picks.
Looks like Mikhail Prokhorov decided that getting the superstar was more important than staying true to his word (and let's be honest, it's understandable).
Melo is scheduled to meet with both Prokhorov and James Dolan in Los Angeles during the break.
This is a curveball that I personally didn't expect. However, the deal is still contingent upon Anthony agreeing to an extension. This deal not only guts the current, young core of the Nets, but hurts their future, erasing four future first-round draft picks.
Melo is not LeBron. He is not good for 60 wins by himself with D-Leaguers thrown around him. Does Melo want to take the risk of playing in New Jersey without much of a supporting cast besides Brook Lopez?
(Lopez, by the way, is breaking the following cardinal rule: If you're over 7 feet tall, you should be averaging at least your height in rebounds. He's averaging just under 6 per game this season.)
We'll see. All I can say is that it's going to be an interesting All-Star Weekend.
Melo would rot away on that roster, they would be perennially hovering around .500 in the 6-8 seed range and unable to get out of the first round.
ReplyDeleteYou said it right, he's not LeBron, hes a borderline top 10 player in the league, which is great but certainly not in the likes of LeBron, Kobe, Dwight, Durant, Rose, Wade. Those guys could be on a team with a bunch of scrubs and still make the playoffs and have their first round opponent worried.
Update: Dolan met with Melo last night and there's another call tonight involving Donnie (thank god). No chance he goes to that joke team in NJ
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/2011/02/18/2011-02-18_knicks_to_talk_to_nuggets_friday_afternoon_as_they_look_to_stay_alive_in_carmelo.html
As long as Donnie is in control and Dolan doesn't force anything I'm ok, Dolan better not fuck up the team and force a trade when we have such great leverage.
ReplyDeleteThat article says Knicks would get back Anthony Carter too. I hated that fucking guy when he was on the heat and he hit that over the backboard shot against us that shouldn't have counted. Guess it would be good since we would def need a backup point guard if Billups was the starter.
Everyone has been freaking out all day saying he's going to the Nets, meanwhile, I've been calm and collected.
ReplyDeleteBottom line: He doesn't want to go to the Nets. Donnie is going to make the trade happen, hopefully he can make it happen without giving up Gallo, but we'll see.
Regardless, I'm really not very worried about the Nets, nor have I ever been. They are desperate, and willing to give the Nuggets everything they could ever dream of, but the deal won't happen unless Melo decides he wants the glory of being on a team that might not make the playoffs year after year.
Melo is not boardline anything. He is one of the most prolific scorers in the league right next to Lebron, Kobe and Durant.
ReplyDeleteWith that said it would be dumb for the Net to sacrifice their future to become a 45-50 win team. Because in three years Melo will leave and the Nets will be right where they are now but without draft picks. Similar to how they went for broke in the Jason Kidd years then were left with nothing but a good run.
With Favors and 5 draft picks Avery can draft players he want, develop a system and chemistry throughout the years. Sign a few role players off free agency and create a team that can compete for years. That's how you build a franchise instead of a flash in the pan
He is absolutely a ridiculous scorer but he doesn't seem like the type of player who can carry a team without help.
ReplyDeleteAmar'e, Fields, etc. That's real help.
The Nets with the team they would have if this trade goes down would offer him NO help.
They would be better than they are now because Melo can put up 50 points; Devin Harris has scored 30 points only 1 time this year and it was against the Cavs. He averages 15 points per game.