Friday, August 27th, 2010 at 9:00 am  |  88 responses

Break Up: Best Thing for Carmelo, Nuggets?

by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

According to the latest media reports, things seem to have reached the point of no return between the Denver Nuggets and their franchise player, Carmelo Anthony. It now appears almost definite that a split is inevitable.

While Nuggets fans (and the team) would be devastated should this occur, would a break up be such a bad thing?

The Denver Post tries to argue that Melo and the Nuggets going their separate way may be best for both parties (though it will certainly not be an easy task):

While Team USA headed to the world basketball championships in Turkey, Anthony has set his sights on China to film a movie. The task of receiving anywhere near market value for Anthony in trade only figures to be more difficult with a growing perception the 6-foot-8 Denver forward is more interested in winning an Oscar than an NBA title.

As a league executive told me: Anthony used to bleed basketball. But if you opened him up now and looked inside, what could be found closest to the player’s heart? A love of the game? Or the desire to be a Hollywood star?

As soon as Masai Ujiri settles in his chair as the team’s new general manager, it will be a hot seat. How many pressure-packed chores can one man handle? Within 12 months, the Nuggets as we know could well be unrecognizable … Virtually every key figure of a team that advanced to the Western Conference finals in 2009 will no longer be around when the dust settles from a major shakeup of the Nuggets, predicted a league executive who has kept close tabs on the increasingly volatile situation in Denver. It’s beginning to look as if rebuilding the team could be a far bigger, messier task than finding a trade partner to take Anthony. This might be a scrape-off project.

Wait, how is any of the above supposed to be “good” for the Nuggets again?

Should they blow the team up — starting with a trade of Carmelo Anthony for a bunch of smaller pieces — they’ll be back in rebuilding mode, and become almost completely irrelevant in the NBA. We could be headed towards very bad times in Denver.

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  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Thank you Boston Baller. Thank you.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Cub Buenning

    Newest rumor I’m hearing is a total blow-up, moving Melo to the Clippers for Blake + Eric Gordon and moving some other parts to Philly for Iguodala.

    If they were to somehow get Blake here in Denver?.?

  • http://www.slamonline.com Eboy

    So, you sign for 5, you make fans and owners think you are going to play for the squad for 5, yet at the end of year 4 you’re being “cool” by telling your bosses that you don’t intend on coming back AFTER 5 so “just trade me now, after Year 4 before you get nothing in return in 10 months”. What the fu*k ever, I’m not standing up for the owners in no kind of way, and I really like Melo as a player, but it wasn’t too long ago that Melo had his wedding where dudes were throwing around potential “team-ups” they were concocting since it seems to be the “vogue” thing that the Heat started. If ya’ll really think Melo is being a “concerned” good samaritan looking out for the “future” of his current “old” team, than if he’s so concerned about helping them get something back for his leaving…..why not stay? He’s full of sh*t and ya”l are naive. Allen especially.

  • http://www.slamonline.com/ The Promise

    I feel you Eboy, I think we have the exact same opinion on this.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Eboy

    As someone pointed out earlier, at least Bron played out his deal….regardless of where and how he left them. He fulfilled his commitment, regardless if he didn’t want to be there anymore or not.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Eboy

    And like Cub just posted…..if Melo is leaving, the entire team is being blown up, so yeah, his intentions of not taking the extension offered (which D-Wade didn’t take last season either and you saw how that played out for him this off-season)are questionable. He doesn’t know what type of talent the Nuggets could draw next season in free-agency OR what they might be able to trade up for this season, so really, what’s his point except to try to get the fu*k up out of Dodg…err…Denver.

  • IAMORANGE4EVER

    Carmelo can use his ability to walk in a year like it’s a no-trade clause. The Nuggets have to hate Melo having that kind of leverage, which will nine times out of ten NIX a trade proposal. Let’s be real, son, Denver will only get offered pennies on the dollar for a one year rental, and renting Melo is essentially trading for Denver’s dilema of not being able to re-sign Carmelo. It’s highly unlikely any franchise would be willing to part with quality young players and draft picks for a rental they feel they’ll lose in the summer of 2011. The best offers that come to Denver will only come from teams that Melo will likely re-sign with. Now if Denver is too bitter to trade Carmelo to where he wants to go, then let him play the season out, and walk away next summer. Then maybe Denver can just get a back some 2nd round draft picks for then doing a sign and trade with the Knicks so Melo could get an extra year on his deal. Gallinari, Chandler and Curry with a first round pick is much better than just a couple second round picks! Don’t shoot yourself in the foot Denver, do a deal with Donnie, yesterday. BOOK IT!

  • DevilMayCare

    Eboy, why would Melo asks for a trade when he has the ability to opt out next summer? If current deals might not even be safe from the bargaining agreement then why would he want to leave now? Makes no sense to me.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Eboy

    And really, at this point, I’d like nothing better than to see Melo shipped to a team like Sacramento or Golden State so dude can have another 5 years of mediocre ball follow him.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Eboy

    DevilMayCare, are the Nuggets a threat in the west this season? No. So if he can be moved to a potential destination where he feels he may have a better chance to win more (or more often) why not put the feeler out to save a wasted season in Denver? And really, if there is a lockout next season, that’s two full YEARS (not seasons) that Melo could be missing on winning playoff basketball.

  • total scrotal implosion

    Allenp is correct, it a two way street. Eboy, you are full of skeet. Obviously, melo wants out, and you cant blame him. Old chauncey and kenyon. Coach might be retiring, crazy ss jr. Only good piece is nene. Not a bright future in denver. Owners have said and shown they wont go into luxury tax. So that means no competing for a title with an improved roster. Its funny, cuz I dont remember any backlash at all like this against kg. He had been in sota a long time, team was not improving, ownership sucked, he wanted out. He wanted to compete for titles, and thats fine

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Nah, what’s full of it is your characterization of events.
    Melo always had a player option on his last year with the team.
    And he NEVER said anything about not coming back to the Nuggets.
    This story burst on the national scene when a journalist noted that Melo had not signed an extension, had a player option, and speculated that he might be pulling a Lebron and walking on his current team at the end of the year.
    The media then floated the story that the Nuggets would not let Melo walk for nothing, basing it on Kroenke’s comments.
    That’s what happened, but don’t let the actual facts of the situation get in the way of forming an opinion.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Here is one of the earliest stories Slam ran on the subject:
    http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2010/07/carmelo-anthony-to-take-nuggets-3-year-extension/
    All you have to do is do a search for Carmelo and you can see how the tenor of the discussions changed. Do the search.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Oops, my bad. Here is the earliest story where he says, as he’s sad since the process began, that he wasn’t rushing to sign an extension and was keeping his options open.
    http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2010/06/carmelo-anthony-is-weighing-his-options/

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp
  • Str8in It Out

    @allenP & @tmonie: you must be some no-short-term-memory-having mother-bumpers, lack the basic concept of logic, extremely conducive to hypocritical statements, enjoy fence-hopping or just young & dumb…or maybe just a pathological blend of all that. You are defending what Carmelo is doing and I agree that the man should be free to pursue his career in any way he sees fit. Yet…How is this any different then what Rudy Fernandez is doing? Hypocrites! The both of you. How do you argue at me (more @T-Monie’s nonsensical ass) about Rudy’s demands being outlandish (or surprising or whatever your weak argument was) -especially being that he’s an off-the-bench player- then give Carmelo -whose team is built around him- a pass. That’s a FAIL. This is the exact same situation… except Melo is the franchise guy which -in a logical world- would make it an extreme act of betrayal to the team and unprofessional… but not in your unripe minds. Ya’ll somehow think Rudy is worse for wanting out of a bench-role on an otherwise playoff team. But Melo leaving…nah, that’s all good even though his team will probably take a hit in the standings when he’s gone. Ya’ll might make dollars but you don’t make sense with that one. The players are both vocal in their trade requests, the front office is fishing for great deals and publicizing their intent to up the ante and the press is milking it for page views and extra summertime off-season $$. Get hip to the game kiddies. The village is watching. Here’s my official statement: Good for you Melo, come to my Knicks!! And, Rudy, if you’re watching…try to get your agent to send your ass over here too. Later!

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Ah, here is the story I was looking for. Ric Bucher floats the idea that Melo is leaving Denver, even while noting that Melo said he’s considering all of his options and that’s why he hasn’t signed an extension.
    The Denver Post then has a story saying that Kroenke will never let Melo walk for nothing.
    http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2010/08/reports-melo-nuggets-parting-ways/

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Str8 Ballin’
    Have you seen me write “Free Melo!”
    Have you seen me write that Melo has been shafted by the Nuggets?
    Where did you see me write that Rudy was not within his rights to leave the Trailblazers? Although, since Rudy is still under contract, technically he can’t play basketball for anyone else int he world, legally. So, he’s asking for the Trailblazers to give him a special dispensation to play in Europe, while Melo is doing not of the sort.
    So, it would appear that you are the one who lack reading comprehension and logic, since the situation are not the same, and I have not treated either player differently.
    The crux of my argument was that Rudy was not taken advantage of by the Blazers, nor was he some superstar in the making who just struggled because of a lack of playing time. He was a J.R. Smith clone who wasn’t playing for a coach desperate enough to give him big minutes.
    I spent very little time, if any commenting on whether it was right for him to leave the team. I do think he’s a whiner for complaining because he CAN’T EARN PLAYING TIME DESPITE REPEATED CHANCES. That’s quite different from Melo’s situation.
    But, I guess that nuance escaped you in your rush to find a way to justify Rudy’s actions and your misguided belief that he’s some sort of superstar.

  • Str8in It Out

    btw, FREE RUDY. F-U allenP :P

  • http://www.kb24.com The Seed

    Melo needs to just play out his contract and walk. Demanding getting traded will hurt the eventual team he lands at. Melo is top 5 player in the league, but everybody needs talent around them to win.

  • JTaylor21

    Who ever puts Tutti Frutti Rudy in the same sentence as Carmelo “Best Scorer” Anthony needs to be struck with a thunderbolt about right now.

  • JTaylor21

    I can’t believe that people on this site are siding with ownership on this matter. How many times have we seen teams promise a player that he won’t be traded and that they’ll will stick with him regardless of the situation then turnaround and trade the guy behind his back without his knowledge. Where was all the outrage from you guys when situations like that have happened in the past? This is a business which means that everyone is out to GET theirs, so why shouldn’t the players do what’s BEST for themselves and not care about the team.

  • drosefan

    Eboy, you’re spot on with this. Melo should not have signed that 5 year deal if he wanted to have some options this summer. LeBron and Wade were better businessman by signing 3 year deals. It’s not like the Knicks would win anything anyway. They need a new owner, a new coaching staff and some better players. When the owner is trying to bring Isiah Thomas back into the fold, the same man who screwed up the organization just a few years ago, there is a serious problem. The Knicks are just a bad organization. D’Antoni has not proven himself to be a championship level coach. The Nets should not give up Devin Harris and Brooke Lopez just for Melo. A free agent would be stupid not to go to New Jersey next summer with that good young core and Avery Johnson as the coach.

  • Harv

    THIS IS ALL ALLEN IVERSON’S FAULT

  • total scrotal implosion

    G@yin it out just got owned. What a tard

  • Ronald

    I love how everyone here upholds the “sanctity of contract” principle. C’mon, guys, contracts are MADE to be broken. It’s actually one of the more important principles of a contract. They can be freely entered into, and can be breached (albeit with consequences) by either party. The concept of “honoring” your contract is archaic especially in a corporations such as NBA teams. It is true however that Melo should’ve had the foresight to give himself options when signing his 5-year deal but I’m sure that he thought that the Nuggets would’ve been a title contender by now, instead of perennial 1st to 2nd round teams.

  • BostonBaller

    At the end of all this both sides will still be filthy rich beyond belief and we’ll be writing/complaining about one or both sides.oh well, that’s how the ball bounces.

  • underdog

    It’s obvious Melo wants to move. And he’s handling his business like that, no question about that. But he didn’t ask for a trade, the Nuggets organization wants trade him, because they don’t want to end up like the Cavs. So I don’t necessarily think Melo is the d*ck here, but he’ll get booed next season in Denver.

  • Rh377

    The truth is this, the rockets have the most to offer in a trade, so unless he plays out this year he isnt going to the knicks. Why does everyone automatically assume everyone wants to play in NY anyway. Terrible traffic, rude people, and no NBA relevancy. Houston will be fine with or without melo for years to come. NYC has been rebuilding since Ewing retired.

  • Whisp

    OMG…………………………………..guys…it’s the LAKERS !!!

  • tavoris

    So Melo is the next to be thrown under the bus by the Nuggets. not surprised at all.

  • http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/68874/20100828/report_knicks_are_melos_first_choice/ IAMORANGE4EVER

    The NEW YORK KNICKS are clearly still A number one, top of the list, king of the hill, A number one – with a bullet. Melo and LaLa want to make a BRAND new start of it – in ol’ New York. Hopefully, the Nugs and Knicks can figure out a equitable trade… perhaps it will take a third team to net the Nugs some more draft picks. Hmmmmmm…

  • http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/68874/20100828/report_knicks_are_melos_first_choice/ IAMORANGE4EVER

    *figure out AN equitable trade.

  • drosefan

    Melo’s not even a leader. Much like LeBron. Chauncey Billups is the captain of the Nuggets and has been since he got there. That’s sad, after 7 years in the league…

  • http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

    ^ LOL how the hell does LeBron’s name get in here, and how is LeBron not a leader? ROFL.

  • IAMORANGE4EVER

    Carmelo Anthony not a leader? Hmmmmmm… LMAO

  • rav

    can someone ban leon rose and his boys from the nba – utter arzeholes they are

  • http://www.threadsandkicks.com.au Eduardo

    Imagine if he lands in LA!!! NY seems great but I think Chicago could have a chance to really compete if they land Melo. The team was originally aiming for either Wade or Lebron and since both have gone elsewhere they could now trade to get Melo as the SF. Chicago could finally return back to its glory days. Been a long time coming… then again it’s been a very long time coming for the NYK to even make the playoffs so either team I’ll be happy.

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