Carmelo Anthony just played in the all-star game last night and now that game officially marks the last time that he will represent the city of the Denver and the Nuggets. Tonight, the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks have finally completed the long awaited blockbuster deal that will send Carmelo to New York.
The Knicks are expected to send Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, the Knicks’ 2014 first-round pick, two second-round picks and $3 million. The Knicks will also trade Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry’s expiring contract to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who would send Corey Brewer to the Nuggets. The Knicks would receive Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams and Renaldo Balkman.
The Nuggets also requested that the Knicks also include center Timofey Mozgov in their trade package and New York complied.
This trade has been long overdue and it doesn’t surprise anyone as this has been in the works well before the season even started. The only thing surprising about this deal is what the Knicks are giving up. I thought the whole point for them was for them to bring Carmelo in and build around him and Amare. But they’re giving up some very solid players, with Raymond Felton and Gallinari being borderline all-stars, and some draft picks.
I mean, Carmelo’s a fine player and all, but on the surface it looks like the Nuggets are getting exactly what they wanted even though Carmelo forced this trade on them. And what about Carmelo. You can’t tell me that this newly structured Knick squad is any better than the Nuggets team that he has just left behind. He’s even bringing over a few of them with him.
I guess only time will tell as always, but I’m already beginning to think that this whole trade was and is buyer’s remorse for Carmelo from back when he signed that original contract extension for an extra year when his pals LeBron, Bosh, and Wade took less.
On a bright side for Raymond Felton, he may still wind up in the New York area after all of this as the Nuggets plan to reroute him and Mozgov to the New Jersey Nets as part of a separate deal. The Nets will be in Brooklyn hopefully starting with the 2013 season.
