Chris Bosh’s is off the market. Carlos Boozer’s landed. Dwyane Wade stayed put. LeBron James decided on South Beach. Now the Denver Nuggets, and the world, wait on Carmelo Anthony to decide what his next move will be—even though he’s not yet a free agent like the aforementioned were this summer.
Will the seven-year pro accept Denver’s lucrative three-year extension or will he be the LeBron James of the summer of 2011? We’re not sure, and neither is the talented forward.
The Denver Post spoke with Melo about his future plans over the weekend:
[Carmelo] Anthony has no intention of taking immediate action on a three-year, $65 million contract extension offer from the Nuggets. The offer was put on the table in June and, to this point, is a standing offer.
“I could wake up tomorrow and they could snatch it off the table,” Anthony said. “I don’t know. I don’t know what their mind-set is.”
Asked whether he had a timetable for signing the extension, Anthony matter-of-factly said “No.”
Asked whether he would sign the contract at all, Anthony hedged.
“I’m just taking my time with it,” he said. “Obviously, everybody knows I’m loyal to the Denver Nuggets community and to the Denver Nuggets. I’ve shown that over my seven-year stint here. I don’t think anybody can question that. But at this point in time, I have to do what’s best for me and my family. I’m just taking my time, figuring out if I want to take that extension or not.”
And Anthony can pretty much take as much time as he wants to make a decision whether or not to sign the deal. He actually has a couple of options on his plate. He can sign the contract or pick up his player option for 2011-12, which pays $18.5 million. Either way, he doesn’t have to make any moves until June 30, 2011. As of now, there is no deadline imposed by the Nuggets.
So, it’s a waiting game. Anthony got married this summer. He’s traveled all over, going from New York to Puerto Rico to Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., to name a few stops. And he’s not done, as he finishes a summer full of commitments.
Anthony said a new collective bargaining agreement carries “a lot” of weight in his decision. Depending on the layout of the new CBA — if there is one by the time the current pact ends next summer — Anthony could stand to make considerably less money on a contract extension than what’s currently being offered.
At day’s end, there’s no rush for Melo to come to a decision. We just hope his situation doesn’t evolve into a circus and become a distraction.
