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://hibachi20.blogspot.com Moose

    Well, if a player isn’t passionate about winning for the team he’s on, he might as well be on one where he can perform at his top game.

  • JTaylor21

    Melo in a knicks uniform will be very good for the NBA. It will be like watching B. King in his prime without all the injuries. Just imagine the kind of numbers he could put in a D’Antoni offense, kevin durant’s short reign as the scoring champ will be over real quick.

  • IAMORANGE4EVER

    Carmelo Anthony is LIKELY headed HOME to the EASTERN CONFERENCE to play for the NEW YORK KNICKS, because you NEVER trade a superstar player within your own conference. Sorry Rockets fans’, sorry Clip fan…it’s all about location, location, location. Don’t be bitter about it, be happy.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Eboy

    So Melo and his people basically SAYING that he won’t play worth a sh*t if he doesn’t get traded is acceptable? Wow, there are some dumb motherfu*kers roaming the Earth.

  • Ali

    They need to make this happen sooner than later, all the rumors surrounding this are getting old fast. If it doesn’t happen before the season starts, he will be put on blast and booed by every fan in the Pepsi Center every time he touches the rock! Get his outta town fast and start re-building!

  • newzealanderinlondon

    who’s better Kobe or Lebron ; )

  • Overtime

    Durant has more scoring titles coming. Melo? nahhh

  • Groves

    Don’t go Melo

  • http://screwjams.tumblr.com cramzy

    why cant these guys at least play the contract out? Say what you want about Lebron, but at least he fulfilled his commitment. It’s like these dudes went into panic mode this summer.

  • NJ4Life

    All you New Yorkers can settle down. Melo’s comin to Jersey. Which also means Brooklyn.

  • IAMORANGE4EVER

    @Ali – I remember when Kobe Bryant got booed by Lakers fans at the 2007-08 home opener against the Rockets. At this point, I don’t see Carmelo getting booed that much at the Pepsi Center if he is on the Nuggets opening night roster this coming season. The situation just doesn’t seem that volatile to me. There is no Carmelo attempting to ship any of his teammates out of Denver. Carmelo isn’t going on Stephen A. Smith’s radio show and asking to get traded to PLUTO (lol), nor has Carmelo used Ric Bucher to keep the heat on Denver by voicing through ALL available ESPN channels that Carmelo Anthony has in fact played his LAST game ever in a Denver Nuggets jersey. See, Carmelo hasn’t made it personal with the Kroenke family like Kobe made it with the Buss family back in the summer of 2007. This potential divorce between Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets has been for the most part handled much more BEHIND the SCENES. In my opinion, Carmelo was very LOYAL to the Denver Nuggets franchise for every year he employed by them. He gave the city of Denver and the Nuggets franchise about 7 to 8 years of blood, sweat, and tears. It’s too bad Denver didn’t capitalize by winning a championship during their window of opportunity. Blame MOST of that on the Nuggets ownership for be so committed to avoiding LUXURY TAX the past two season.

  • http://slamonline.com philly

    denver is doomed

  • Ghost

    He’s going to leave at the end of the season anyway, best thing to do for Denver.

  • http://thosefishtacosarethetits.blogspot.com Boston_Blogg3r

    Can he bring Allen Iverson with him to NY?

  • Will

    So wait…just because he’s going to film one movie, he’s not focused on winning and his heart isn’t in basketball? That’s a bit extreme isn’t it? Sounds like a poor excuse for why Denver should get rid of him. If he wants to leave, he wants to leave but I don’t think questioning his heart is fair play here.

  • http://slamonline.com Dave.

    We should name this the BRON VACUUM. When Bron failed to deliver the speculation all summer long media outlets had to dig up stories about other players and ground them out ad nauseum to fill the ratings void.

  • AT33

    Melo should go to the Knicks, have fun for a year and wait till CP3 arrives. That will make a hell of a team that could challenge the Heat. The Magic would be a great fit too and possibly make the Heat run for their money although that’s hard when you have the best player in the world (LBJ) and the second best player in the world (Wade) on the same team but we’ll see. I know one thing for sure though, the NBA will be again fun to watch. We haven’t had it this fun since MJ retired in ’96.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    I can’t believe they pulled the whole “He doesn’t love the game” card again.
    Dude has steadily improved his game since his rookie year, particularly as far as getting in shape.
    I’m not a Melo fan, but I don’t get the impression that dude is “Hollywood.” That’s a pretty insulting accusation.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    And Melo is playing his contract out.
    This is his last year. He has refused to sign an extension. The Nuggets are concerned he may leave at the end of the year and they will get nothing. They have discussed trading them. He’s said “If you trade me, you need to trade me to one of these places, or I will refuse to sign an extension with my new team which will scuttle any trade plans.”
    Some of you clearly have not bothered to educate yourselves on the situation.
    Melo is not making demands, or being unreasonable. He’s saying that it’s not in his best interest to sign an extension now, so he’s not going to sign it.
    Ownership and the media figures they feed information to have so twisted the situation that some of y’all actually think this is Melo’s “fault.”
    It’s really sad.

  • LA Huey

    Citing an offseason activity to question his heart is pretty unfair. If he’s not traded before opening night, I hope his desire to be traded isn’t so obvious in his effort.

  • IAMORANGE4EVER

    Well said Allenp.

  • rikson

    @Allnep_ Who is hollywood?! Especially if a “hollywood”-player must not improve his game..

  • slamfan4life

    This sucks for nuggets fans, DENV wants young assets and draft picks

    And I doubt they’ll give Melo to anyone in the West

    So lets look at the East with Assets and draft picks

    Nets
    Bulls

    Anyone else? New York traded away all their draft picks for the next 25 years..

    Nets can give a lot of draft picks and a few quality players

    Bulls can probably give, Luol deng, taj gibson and a few picks

    I kinda wanna see him go to the knicks though, itd be a hell of a team

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Rikson
    Baron Davis deserves the “Hollywood charge.”
    Devean George had some issues dealing with the limelight.
    And player who clearly has not put in the work to improve as a player, and does not give maximum effort deserves to have their dedication to basketball questioned.
    That doesn’t work for Melo.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    It would be cool if the Bulls or Nets could trade for Melo. Preferably the Bulls.

  • IAMORANGE4EVER

    I believe it will be either the Knicks or Nets that get Carmelo. I really really hope it’s the Knicks, but I’m not going to lie, I would still watch Carmelo ball in Brooklyn for the Nets. At the end of the day, there is a lot of upside on and off the court for Carmelo and his family playing for a franchise in New York City. That should be the goal.

  • kaboom

    To sale:alternate nuggets carmelo anthony jersey,#15,size 50(XL),made in 2005.Live in Holland so you must be somewhere close(Gerard Himself??)

    The other option for me is to burn it..

  • Anon E Mouse

    Once again Allenp provides the voice of reason but one question, can you think of any teams that would take their chances at 1 year of Carmelo in the hope of increased revenue, productivity, relevance or even that he may hang around? I mean he isn’t in LBJ or Kobe’s league with reference to the above points but it makes for an interesting thought eh?

    Eboy, with respect to your 9.55 comment I don’t see it that way. If the Nuggets don’t work a trade, I think Melo has an outstanding year knowing full well that he will be out next year regardless. Doing otherwise could really damage his stock (even though I’d take that risk as an owner).

    Also Word to IAMORANGE4EVER but then IAMALSOORANGE4EVER.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Anon
    I can’t think of as many teams who would talk themselves into a one-year rental of Melo as I could for Lebron, simply because as you stated, Melo isn’t on the same level.
    However, one plus that teams know that Melo wants a new deal before the next collective bargaining agreement kicks in, so he has more incentive to re-up immediately, which could make it easier to talk themselves into a trade that could wind up a one year rental.
    No team would trade for Melo knowing without a doubt that he was going to bolt at the end of the year because Denver is likely going to request quite a bit for him.
    However, teams like the Nets, Rockets and Bulls (just random names I”m throwing out) would feel comfortable that he would want to re-up with them given their roster strength and organization.
    I like Melo in Jersey with Devin Harris and Lopez, or in chicago with Rose, Boozer and Noah.
    If the Bulls could convince the Nuggets to take Deng, Gibson and some draft choices, that would be an outstanding move. They wouldn’t be as good as Miami on paper, but it would be close.

  • drosefan

    I hope he gets traded to a bad team so that he can miss the playoffs. He deserves it for forcing a trade out of a city and organization that did everything they could to build around him. Someone has to win and someone has to lose. Face the fact that Kobe and the Lakers were just better than they were a few seasons ago. George Karl probably would have gotten that team past the Jazz in the first round if he would have been coaching. The Nuggets are still a good team. LeBron set quite a punk precedent this summer. He and his CAA/LRMR flunkies.

  • MusketeerX

    Melo does not go to NJ without Lopez and/or Favors coming back in return.

    I don’t think the Bulls get him without trading Deng and Noah. Still a great team though. Denver may be able to pull that one off.

    Denver will definitely get a lot of players if they trade with NY.

    I can see Azabukie, Toney Douglas, Gallinari/Randolph, and Chandler all being traded for just one player. And because the Knicks are under, it cap means they don’t have to give up players of equal trade value.

  • Jose

    Melo in Chi-Town seems tight as hell. They got alot of pieces that could get him there to. If DEN wants cap space over talent in return. Maybe VC and Gortat for Melo? NJ would be nice but idk who u give up for him, i feel like talent drops off a bit after Lopez Harris.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    DRose fan
    How is Melo forcing a trade?
    HE HAS JUST REFUSED TO SIGN AN EXTENSION, HIS RIGHT AS AN EMPLOYEE UNDER THE COLLECTIVE BARAGAINING AGREEMENT.
    The Nuggets have decided trading him is a good idea. I don’t understand how people are missing this very salient fact.

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    Yes, Melo in a Bulls uni would be sick as hell…but the same was said about Kobe/Garnett/Gasol/LeBron/Wade/Bosh so I’m not holding my breath….

  • JTaylor21

    DRosefan if a flunkie means that a player chooses the team he wants to go to and does it his own way while shafting the owners then label me a flunkie. The players are now paying back the owners for all the behind the back trades and not giving a F*CK about a player they’ve done for so many years. They are showing them that the players not the owners are who the people pay to see and the reason for them making so much money. More POWER to the players and f*ck the owners.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Eboy

    Allen must not have read the article posted yesterday about World Wide Wes and his gangsta-ish ways.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Eboy

    From that article: “Between the agents’ bullying and Anthony’s dismissive disposition in Sunday’s meeting, sources said Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke, Josh’s father, finally made a stand with CAA.”

  • http://www.slamonline.com Eboy

    Also from that article: “Keep up the heavy-handedness and you’ll get a war.Kroenke has decided to deal with CAA in a way most of the league is too fearful to try. Leon Rose, the agent who works with Wesley, backed down, sources said, and is willing to be more open-minded on potential trade destinations. Anthony wants to leave Denver and get his three-year, $65 million contract extension now. This partnership is rounding third and rapidly reaching disrepair.”

  • http://www.slamonline.com Eboy

    Let’s see: “Anthony wants to leave Denver AND get his three year, $65 million dollar extension now”. Yep, that sounds just like a model employee wanting to fulfill the obligation of a contract.

  • Will

    Um..He does want to fulfill the obligation of a contract. As far as I’ve heard, not even the rumors have said anything about him boycotting the season or anything crazy if he doesn’t get moved. It looks simple to me: He’s not coming back when his contract is up, so you can trade him now or watch him leave next year. I don’t agree with the CAA’s tactics and the alleged “here’s who I’ll play for list”, but it still doesn’t sound like a “get me out now, or else” ultimatum.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Eboy
    That’s not an article, it’s a column.
    Written based on anonmyous sources, who given the slant of the article, are clearly sympathetic to the Nuggets.
    Let’s consider the facts we all know.
    Melo is under contract for this year, and has a player option for next year.
    The Nuggets want him to sign a $65 million extension.
    He has not signed it.
    A few questions to consider
    1. Where did the idea of a trade come from, Melo or the Nuggets? Read the old articles, THE NUGGETS apparently raised the idea of a trade because Kroenke didn’t want to get “Lebroned.”
    2. How can Melo “force” a trade when he’s under contract to play another year? Why would he even be worried about getting traded since he can sign with whatever team he wants next year? The only argument is the collective bargaining argument, and the owners have said that even current deals might not be safe under the new plan.
    3. “Bullying tone” and “dismissive disposition” translates into “We have the power, and we don’t have to pretend otherwise now that you’ve floated trade rumors through the media.”
    I say go back and read how this whole mess began. Melo didn’t sign an extension, the Nuggets didn’t like that, and they started saying they’d rather trade him then let him walk. Only they don’t want to labeled as the idiot team taht traded a superstar (the common label attached to writers specializing in hindsight) so they are now making it seem like Melo is disgruntled and unreasonable.
    I mean, look at the actual facts on the table, not the words used by a columnist with a clear point of view and no quotes from Melo’s camp.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    And CAA isn’t “bullying” the Nuggets.
    The groups is saying that if the Nuggets decide to trade Melo to a team he does not prefer, he will not sign an extension with that team, and I’d imagine that he’ll let the team know in advance he won’t sign an extension with them.
    Which means they won’t make the trade with Denver, or they’ll wind up like the Milwaukee Bucks with Gary Payton.
    So, CAA told the Nuggets that if you want us to agree to an extension with a new team, here are the teams we want you to trade with.
    The Nuggets have a choice. Make a deal with those teams, let Melo play out his deal, or try to convince some sucka team to trade for Melo as a one-year rental that destroys their core.
    That’s not “bullying” that’s using leverage. Apparently it’s unacceptable when players use the only leverage they have in negotiations. It’s only acceptable when teams use leverage.
    Got it.

  • Exile

    Why isn’t Orlando being used in the comments as much as NJ/NY and Chicago? Orlando can give back scoring and other assets to have a Dwight/Melo pairing… Salary? Lewis or Vince could be easy trade bait… Gortat is good…. You could still keep Nelson and have a solid base. It’s not like Orlando got better this summer anyway.

  • JoeMaMa

    “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?”
    Wow. This league executive apparently doesn’t watch basketball. Carmelo is one of the best offensive players I’ve ever seen…and he’s getting trashed by a faceless exec?! I’ll cosign Allenp on this one…but I’ll also say that whenever I hear the name WorldWide Wes, I picture a leach, or a snake. He clouds the picture. I think it’s why there’s some Carmelo hate here: people remember his meddling, unneccesary role in LeBron’s FUBAR PR summer and are assuming the same thing in this case.

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

    Anyone who puts WorldWide in front of their name, especially if their name begins in a W, is not trustworthy.

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

    @Allenp: I totally understand that its Melo’s right to turn down that extension, its just that, the guy wants his cake and wants to eat it too. He doesn’t want to fulfill his contract by playing with Denver this season, and he wants to go to a new team NOW and THEN sign an extension(I am echoing what Eboy stated earlier today, basically). That selfishness is what makes him a jerk to me, not the fact that he doesn’t want to sign the extension, its just that he wants the organization to cater to his ever desire, while completley dissing them in the process. Melo and CP3 have the same agenda as James and Bosh had this summer, they want to play together, so therefore they are going to completely destroy the franchises they are on in order to do that. They both got impatient this summer and wanted to play for New York NOW, but that plan got foiled when the New Orleans organization sat Paul down and basically told him that, he wasn’t going anywhere this summer, so that ended that big idea. But Melo’s hope to leave town is still alive, because Denver’s front office has enough common sense to know that, Melo will not be back if they don’t trade him, so they might as well trade very soon, most likely to the Knicks. Its been orchestrated to happen that way, and it will happen that way, whether he gets traded there this summer, or he plays out his contract this season and then signs with them in free agency (Hopefully he doesn’t do a 1 hour special on it, wouldn’t shock me though). Its gonna happen, I just don’t know when. CP3 will join him most likely in the ’11-12 season, unless he gets dealt there before the trade deadline next season, though I find that unlikely, there won’t be enough pieces left to trade for him if they do end up trading for Carmelo this summer, not to mention they can’t deal their 1st round pick, you have to have a first round draft choice at least once every 2 years, that makes it a lot tougher to trade for CP3, a 1st round pick always makes a trade offer look a lot better. I’ve said all this to say that, Melo, CP3 and STAT will be on the same team, eventually, its all apart Stern’s undying thirst for TV ratings, thats what it all boils down to, in my opinion.

  • Anon E Mouse

    Ultimately Melo could play the year out as a happy “Employee” and walk away. Does anyone really believe that the Nuggets wouldn’t put a bunch of rumours, scandal and “we really tried to please him/keep him” stories into effect with the press lapping it all up?

    It’s moments like that where the power NORMALLY lies with the Team rather than another ungrateful overpaid athlete. CAA are just flipping the script. Perhaps in a slightly imature fashion but in the world of the old money establishment it would be called good hard bargaining.

  • BostonBaller

    I cosign Allenp’s post @: 11:14 am. Also, if I’m a GM/Owner I would appreciate it (not like) if a player tells me that he doesn’t want to sign an extension nor that he wants to come back. That way I can try to make a trade so as to get something for him rather than nothing at all. I may not like it and I may try to trade him to a crapy team but I can’t be made if he says he will in essence “veto” any trade that doesn’t include teams x, y, or z. The ball is in the middle of the court b/c I as the GM/Owner have some control and the player has some control AND the team he gets traded to has a bit of control b/c the Melo will indeed want to get that last max contract before everything hits the fan. Melo is going to honor this last year of his contract so no one can be too pissed at him unless he dogs it and I don’t think he’ll do that. just my opinion.

  • Yawn

    People are too gullible these days

  • Robb

    Melo in a NY uniform would be great for the league I agree. New Yorkers deserve a competent team. I’m not a big fan of Mike “Pringles Man” D’antoni but it would be a fun team to watch.

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