Sources: Nuggets soften trade stance

[Ashy Larry]

The Denver Nuggets (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=den)' resistance to trading star forward Carmelo Anthony (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=1975) is fading away, according to sources with knowledge of Denver's thinking.
The Nuggets still aren't aggressively shopping Anthony and haven't withdrawn their longstanding offer of a contract extension, but numerous sources told ESPN.com that Denver officials have in recent days let other teams know for the first time that they will listen to pitches after previously resisting such discussions.


"I'm not sure how soon, but I do think they're going to trade him [between now and February]," said one rival GM.





Said another source briefed on Denver's plans: "There's no doubt they are working on it. Eventually they're going to pull the trigger. "
Reports have persisted for weeks that Anthony, who can become a free agent at the end of the coming season, wants out.


ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher reported Aug. 16 that it was "a matter of when, not if, Anthony and the Nuggets will go their separate ways," while CBSSports.com quoted "multiple sources" last week as saying that the 26-year-old "has not wavered in his desire to be dealt" and that the New Jersey Nets (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=njn) are making the hardest active pitch for Anthony.


Although Anthony has not made any such declarations publicly, it appears that Nuggets management is growing increasingly resigned to the fact that they won't be able to change their franchise player's mind.


One source close to the situation told ESPN.com that Anthony has been no more communicative with the organization since the hiring of Masai Ujiri as Denver's new vice president of basketball operations in late August than he was before Ujiri's return to the Nuggets. Ujiri began his front-office career as a Nuggets scout during Anthony's rookie season in 2003-04 and spoke optimistically about arranging a face-to-face meeting with Anthony -- which sources say has not yet taken place -- and trying to sell him on the team's plans for the future at his introductory press conference.


The Nuggets, during Ujiri's first two weeks in the office, consistently told teams calling to register trade interest in Anthony that they weren't ready to discuss the subject.


But the Nuggets, sources said, have relaxed that stance and are starting to explore how much they might be able to get in return for the high-scoring small forward. To agree to a deal, Denver would expect at least one top-flight young player it can market along with salary-cap relief and multiple future first-round picks.


Trading Anthony, however, is not as simple as merely seeking out the best deal or even recruiting a third team to help facilitate a trade, because of Anthony's ability to become a free agent in July. It's widely assumed in NBA front-office circles that any team trading for Anthony would expect him to commit to a contract extension as part of the deal -- as Kevin Garnett (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=261) did when Minnesota sent him to Boston in the summer of 2007 -- which gives Anthony some measure of input into his trade destination.


Yet sources say that Denver, after watching LeBron James (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=1966) and Chris Bosh (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=1977) devastate Cleveland and Toronto, respectively, by bolting to Miami in July, is determined to avoid the same fate with Anthony and will ultimately work with him on a trade before the February trading deadline if the alternative is potentially losing him outright in free agency.


Ujiri, in particular, just lived through the Bosh saga as a member of Toronto's front office before taking the Nuggets' job.


No clear frontrunner has yet emerged in the Anthony sweepstakes, despite Anthony's presumed desire to play for the big-market New York Knicks (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=nyk) or Nets, but one source -- who told ESPN.com earlier this month that he believed Anthony could even be traded before the start of the season -- continues to make that claim.


The source said that a trade could materialize quickly enough that Anthony "might never wear a Nuggets uniform again."
The Nuggets' annual media day is Sept. 27, with training camp scheduled to open the following day.

During a TBS television appearance earlier this week with comedian George Lopez, when asked where he was expecting to play this season, Anthony said: "I'm a Nugget. I'm a Nugget, man."

Yet Anthony has also sidestepped such questions in other recent interviews, contributing to the mounting tension in Denver all summer while the Nuggets' three-year extension offer worth $65 million remains unsigned. Around the time of the draft in June, Nuggets officials were quietly optimistic that Anthony was about to sign.


dude is gone http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5594741

[8FOR!3]

Something involving Tony Parker for Carmelo Anthony would work out well for the Spurs, but Denver won't have any of it I wouldn't think, you'd have to get a third team involved. Maybe some conspiracy theories as well, maybe if we got George Karl involved and Eva Longoria to accuse him of rape, to drop the charges, he could trade Melo to the Spurs, Parker and Eva could go over to Denver for a year, double cross Karl and put up shitty numbers for a year, then sign with the Spurs next year as a free agent. :toast

Tony Parker
Manu Ginobili
Carmelo Anthony
Tim Duncan
Tiago Splitter

Championship

:lol

Maybe I need to stop watching Wild Things...

[Venti Quattro]

he's good as gone

[sefant77]

http://blogs.thescore.com/tbj/2010/07/08/tbj-exclusive-multiple-sources-uncovered/

[Giuseppe]

Such a f'in mess there in Denver. Think Chernobyl.

Starting with Karl, they all need to go.

[picc84]

The whole Thuggets organization should be dissolved.

[TheMACHINE]

move him to the east!

[Chillen]

I just don't buy into some of these reports no more. Denver would want something good in return for him, but I don't know if Chicago should give up Noah/Deng/picks for him. He is not a real big difference maker in a game like a LeBron James or Kobe Bryant, so I highly doubt they trade with Chicago without recieving Noah in return. Which leaves NY's offer, and they aren't crazy enough to trade him to a Western Conference team (or so you think). I think he stays there until the trading deadline despite all these reports. If the Bulls trade happened and they keep Noah, that would help Chicago compete with Miami/Boston.

[sefant77]

Anthony is a better player than Noah but they need Noah more than the Deng-> Anthony upgrade.

They would get killed without Noah...

[milkshakeballa]

Anthony is a better player than Noah but they need Noah more than the Deng-> Anthony upgrade.

They would get killed without Noah...

dont be stupid

noah is much easier to replace...

[RedsLakers24]

Bynum for Melo

[sefant77]

dont be stupid

noah is much easier to replace...

So tell me which following trades the Bulls could do for a new starting big beside Boozer

[DJ Mbenga]

favors cap room future 1st is what the nuggest have to look foward to.

[Sisk]

move him to the east!

:tu

[Koolaid_Man]

I hear Lakershow in very prelim talks for Melo...Odom + Character + Ebanks + Future picks...that's what's being discussed according to my very credible sources...

Read em and weep....Koolaid is a prophet...

Kobe, Gasol, Melo, Bynum....

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/420745-nba-trade-rumors-carmelo-anthony-to-the-lakers-could-it-happen

[Giuseppe]

No way. They'll need to fail before they'd part with Odom.

[Koolaid_Man]

You know Dr. Buss better than that....he'll ship his ass out faster than the poker chips can be dealt...

[ace3g]

a lot of tweets are saying he is going to the Nets; not sure where this rumor started but if you search melo on twitter, all the results now say that

[djohn2oo8]

The Denver Nuggets (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/denvernuggets/index.html?inline=nyt-org) are lending an open ear to N.B.A. (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/n/national_basketball_association/index.html?inline=nyt-org) suitors clamoring for Carmelo Anthony (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/a/carmelo_anthony/index.html?inline=nyt-per), a potentially distressing development for the Knicks (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/newyorkknicks/index.html?inline=nyt-org) in their efforts to land the three-time All-Star.

In preliminary conversations, the Nuggets have told the Knicks that they do not possess the assets they are seeking if they decide to trade Anthony, according to a Knicks official. The official did not want to be identified because he was describing private conversations between the teams

For the moment, the Knicks are left hoping that Anthony remains in Denver through this season, which would allow his contract to expire. If that happens, the Knicks could then pursue him in free agency with cap room that will be created by the departure of Eddy Curry.
That possibility would allow the Knicks to sign Anthony while retaining several key players: Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler and Amar’e Stoudemire.

The Knicks can also hope that Anthony declines to sign an extension with any team to which he is traded. That, too, would allow him to become a free agent next summer and put the Knicks back in the mix. But if Anthony is traded to another team and that team persuades him to sign an extension, the Knicks will be out of luck.

And in a twist that will make the Knicks and their fans even more frustrated, the Houston Rockets (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/houstonrockets/index.html?inline=nyt-org) are one of the teams aggressively pursuing Anthony. The Rockets are doing it in part by offering at least one of the draft picks they acquired from the Knicks last February when, in a three-way trade that also involved the Sacramento Kings (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/sacramentokings/index.html?inline=nyt-org), the Knicks cleared Jared Jeffries’s salary off this year’s payroll and landed Tracy McGrady (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/tracy_mcgrady/index.html?inline=nyt-per)’s expiring contract.

The Rockets obtained the right to swap first-round picks with the Knicks in 2011 in the deal, which allows them to offer whichever pick is better to the Nuggets.

They can also offer the Nuggets the Knicks’ 2012 first-round choice, which they also obtained in the trade.

The picks give Houston flexibility in trade talks with Denver that the Knicks do not have. N.B.A. rules prohibit a team from trading first-round picks in consecutive years. So with their 2012 pick gone, the Knicks cannot trade their 2013 first-round pick as part of any deal for Anthony.

That could be one reason Denver may be uninterested in what they can offer. Denver is believed to be seeking a combination of draft picks, expiring contracts and young players with low salaries, according to ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5594741).
The Nets (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/newjerseynets/index.html?inline=nyt-org) have emerged as a front-runner if there is an Anthony trade, according to ESPN (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/espn/index.html?inline=nyt-org), which said they would be willing to trade Derrick Favors, the third pick in the June draft, a future first-round pick and the expiring contracts of Troy Murphy and Kris Humphries.

Houston, meanwhile, is prepared to offer a package centered on the shooting guard Kevin Martin and the Knicks’ draft picks, according to an N.B.A. executive who has had discussions with the Nuggets.


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/21/sports/basketball/21nba.html?_r=1

No way can we beat the Nets offer

[Giuseppe]

You know Dr. Buss better than that....he'll ship his ass out faster than the poker chips can be dealt...

It'll never happen.

Nothing but idle banter.

[crc21209]

I see him going to either the Nets, Bulls, or Knicks...bank on it.

[Killakobe81]

What about a Portland deal? they have good young assets or a big contract (aldridge) they could send back in a deal. Hell if im Portland i may even consider Roy and Webster for Melo. Dont get me wrong roy is the more humble, likeable player but melo is the better talent. not sure if it woukd be a good fit. But if im trying to get the most young talent I call Portland. But i refuse Oden. I INSIST on roy or Aldridge and either Bayless or Batum.

[Chieflion]

What about a Portland deal? they have good young assets or a big contract (aldridge) they could send back in a deal. Hell if im Portland i may even consider Roy and Webster for Melo. Dont get me wrong roy is the more humble, likeable player but melo is the better talent. not sure if it woukd be a good fit. But if im trying to get the most young talent I call Portland. But i refuse Oden. I INSIST on roy or Aldridge and either Bayless or Batum.

Webster is in Minnesota.

[Killakobe81]

Webster is in Minnesota.

My bad. Meant rudy. Forgot about that, damn Portland had so many wings hard to keep track. But that is not a bad move for Minny.

[Killakobe81]

Webster is in Minnesota.

didnt Outlaw go to NJ too?

[sefant77]

Nuggets will push for a Nets trade because with Favors they can get probably the best possible PF. Add T. Williams and you have allready a rebuilding core of:

Lawson
Williams
x
Favors
Nene

Not bad and you can still trade Billups for another talent.

Lets see if they wait until december so the Nets dont have to add Murphys contract.

Harris
Morrow
Anthony
Murphy
Lopez

[Venti Quattro]

Bynum for Melo

Not happening in a million years

[Chieflion]

didnt Outlaw go to NJ too?

Yes. After being traded before the 2010 trade deadline to the Clippers, became a free agent. Signed for 5 years with NJ.

[The Franchise]

http://twitter.com/samickAOL

According to numerous sources close to Houston, the Rockets' discussions with Denver re: Carmelo Anthony have not involved Kevin Martin.
about 2 hours ago via TweetDeck
Best news I've heard all day.

[Koolaid_Man]

http://twitter.com/samickAOL

Best news I've heard all day.

Cough cough....Now may I ruin your day pretty please::lol


This is the latest: Melo possibly to Lakers for Odom, Sasha's expiring + Ebanks and / or Character + future draft picks. This is the best deal on the Market...Take it or Leave it...

http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/69200/20100921/los_angeles_teams_in_contention_for_carmelo/

Melo Won't Sign With New Jersey:

http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/69205/20100921/nba_executive_melo_wont_sign_with_new_jersey/

Bulls Now Out of the Running:

http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/69199/20100921/bulls_out_of_running_for_melo/

Knicks out of the running:

http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/69197/20100921/knicks_official_denver_rebuffed_knicks_inquiries_a bout_melo/

[The Franchise]

I'd give up a Barnes/Bynum for Melo. Ain't happening though

Would you really want to have a disgruntled Artest on the bench? :nope

[Venti Quattro]

Top 5 Trade Offers for Carmelo Anthony (http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=17380)

As more and more reports surface that Carmelo Anthony will likely be moved before the February trade deadline, more and more fans have come out with potential trades they would make to bring one of the league's top scorers to their favorite team. These trades, however, tend to be a little lopsided and leave the Nuggets without anywhere near enough value to pull the trigger on a Carmelo deal.

At the same time, with rumors that Anthony would rather play for the Knicks or Bulls, fans come up with all sorts of trade possibilities for those two teams without giving much consideration to the fact that one of the other 27 teams in the league might have something of more value to offer Denver.

That's what we're going to look at today. What five teams could offer Denver the most to bring Carmelo Anthony their way?

A few things to keep in mind as we delve into this:

First, putting a team in the top five not only has to do with Denver getting the most value out of their superstar, but also how likely Anthony would be actually sign an extension once traded. This is because nobody is going to offer the farm for a one-year rental. Any team acquiring Melo is going to be giving up huge assets to make it happen; if they're sacrificing their future, the future they get in return better also be similarly rosy.

Also, in cases where I felt like the players and/or expiring contracts were not enough value to entice Denver to pull the trigger, I've added "and a first-round pick" to help sweeten the deal. Obviously, you could change "first-round pick" to "two first-round picks" or "a first and second-round pick" or any other combination of possibilities. The point of adding that is to say that, at the very least, a first-rounder should be involved in this deal, and possibly more.

Keep in mind that these are not necessarily actual trade offers that have been put out there. Yes, some look like rumored deals we've seen in the papers the last few weeks, but some I totally made up in an attempt to get both teams a fair shake.

Finally, while a multi-player or three-way deal is possible, I'm focusing on straight-up deals for Carmelo between only two teams (except in the case of the Detroit deal listed below, which was for Anthony and Nene).

With that in mind, let's have a look at the five deals with the most realistic chance of actually happening, starting with the honorable mentions and then working our way from fifth most likely to most likely period. Here we go:

Honorable Mention:

Utah Jazz Offer: Andrei Kirilenko and a first-round pick

Why Denver likes it: They probably don't, very much. All it offers is cap space and a pick, and they're likely looking for much more than that.

Does Melo Extend? Probably. Deron Williams is a top-two point guard in the league right now, and there's plenty of other talent on this roster to keep Utah as a top Western Conference team even without Anthony. With him, they'd be on par with the best teams in the West.

New Orleans Hornets Offer: Peja Stojakovic, Craig Brackins, a trade exception ($1.6 million), and a first-round pick

Why Denver likes it: Peja is a huge expiring deal and Brackins is a young player with quite a bit of potential. The Hornets have a number of different trade exceptions they could opt to send to Denver for added cap relief if they return an additonal Denver player, but in the end I just don't think they'd be getting enough talent in return to bite on this deal from the Hornets, no matter how much Chris Paul might love it.

Does Melo Extend? Yes. He and Chris Paul would be an amazing tandem, and with a starting lineup that would also feature Marcus Thornton, Emeka Okafor, and David West, Nawlins would be a very scary Western Conference powerhouse.

Detroit Pistons Offer: Tayshaun Prince, Richard Hamilton, and Chris Wilcox for Anthony and Nene

Why Denver likes it: Prince and Wilcox are expiring deals, and Hamilton is still a very serviceable shooting guard in this league—something the Nuggets could use. Plus, if they wanted to keep Prince long-term to take Melo's spot at small forward, they could do that. This clears things up a little for the Pistons and gives them the frontcourt help they so desperately need, while allowing the Nuggets to return enough veteran pieces to at least be competitive in the immediate future.

Does Melo Extend? Doubtful. A starting lineup featuring Anthony, Rodney Stuckey, Ben Gordon, and Jonas Jerebko isn't winning any championships. That would be a major downgrade from his surrounding talent in Denver, and he'd definitely have better options in free agency the following summer.

Portland Trail Blazers Offer: Greg Oden, Rudy Fernandez, Joel Przybilla, and a first-round pick

Why Denver likes it: Outside of the fact that they'd get two solid young pieces in Fernandez and Oden, Przybilla is a decent chunk of expiring contract that could go towards future cap space. Still, Oden is hurt too much to make this a sure-thing, and even healthy one has to wonder if Portland has the pieces to make a deal really work.

Does Melo Extend? Maybe. Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge make this an interesting team, but it wouldn't really be his top location choice and there are a few other teams out there that could present him a better immediate chance to win a championship.

Golden State Warriors Offer: Monta Ellis, Vladimir Radmonovic, and a first-round pick

Why Denver likes it: They'd get a marquee shooter in Ellis and a sizeable expiring deal in Vlad.

Does Melo Extend? Doubtful. Steph Curry and David Lee are nice ball players, but neither one is really a star (at least not yet), and Carmelo's not looking for a team he can grow with. He's looking for a team he can win with.

Atlanta Hawks Offer: Jamal Crawford, Marvin Williams, and a first-round pick

Why Denver likes it: Williams replaces Melo at small forward and Crawford gives them a chance to plug in a good deal of scoring at the starting shooting guard spot. If Crawford didn't work out or the Nuggets felt like cap space would be valuable, Jamal is a free agent after the season and could be let go.

Does Melo Extend? Maybe. Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby, Josh Smith, and Al Horford round out a pretty impressive starting lineup, but the shelf life of this team doesn't seem like it'll be as long as some of the other potential suitors.

Houston Rockets Offer: Kevin Martin, Jared Jeffries, and a first-round pick

Why Denver likes it: Martin replaces a good deal of the scoring the team would lose with the departure of Anthony, and Jeffries is a reasonably-sized expiring deal that provides the Nugs with some cap space. Martin's injury history, however, could be a deterrent here, and when compared to some of the other offers out there isn't quite as enticing a deal as it could be.

Does Melo Extend? Maybe, but it wouldn't be his ideal final destination. While there are a lot of nice complementary pieces there, the lack of overall star power might still leave him wishing for greener pastures.

And now, the Top 5…

#5 – Los Angeles Lakers Offer: Andrew Bynum, Sasha Vujacic, and a first-round pick

Why Denver likes it: Bynum is a reasonable talent and Vujacic is an expiring deal. It's not anywhere near close enough to something Denver would bite at, though. They've had enough experience with an injury-plagued center already. They don't need more of that headache. And Vujacic's cap relief would be minimal.

Does Melo Extend? Yes. The allure of L.A. and the chance to win championships right away would definitely be enough to keep him in Hollywood.

#4 – New York Knicks Offer: Eddy Curry, Wilson Chandler, and Ronny Turiaf or Kelenna Azubuike

Why Denver likes it: They're not going to be ecstatic about it, especially because the Knicks don't really have a whole lot to offer by way of draft pick because they've pretty much sent away their next thirty years' worth of picks. On the bright side, though, Eddy Curry's $11.3 million expiring contract would look pretty nice, and Chandler is a reasonably promising young player. Turiaf or Azubuike would be tossed in to make salaries match.

Does Melo Extend? Absolutely. There's nowhere he'd rather play. If he gets a chance to become a Knick, he'll probably do what we can to retire one.

#3 – Chicago Bulls Offer: Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, and Taj Gibson or James Johnson and a first-round pick

Why Denver likes it: They'd love to get Noah and would definitely prefer Gibson over Johnson, but it's the Luol Deng part of the deal that's got them hung up. With four years and over $51 million left on Deng's deal, the Nuggets aren't particularly excited about taking back a guy who doesn't put up stats that match his paycheck. On the one hand, it wouldn't leave them totally depleted at the small forward position, but on the other it's not the most fiscally responsible trade the Nuggets could make. Even taking on Deng's salary to get their paws on Noah might not be enough to make this trade viable. It's not the worst offer, but it's not the best one, either.

Does Melo Extend? Yes. To be surrounded by Derrick Rose and Carlos Boozer for the next three or four years isn't something Anthony would likely turn down. He'd probably love the big city vibe of Chicago and would without question become the leader of a very good team, just like that.

#2 – New Jersey Nets Offer: Derrick Favors, Troy Murphy, and a first-round pick

Why Denver likes it: It's not hard to see why some opposing GMs think that this is the best deal Denver could realistically get. Other hypothetical trade offers from this list leave the team's vying for Anthony a little shaky—the Bulls, for example, really would prefer not to trade Joakim Noah, and the same for the Clippers and Blake Griffin—but New Jersey would pull the trigger on this deal in a heartbeat. It gives the Nuggets a sizeable expiring deal in Murphy, plus a pick and a potential future All-Star in Favors.

Does Melo Extend? Yes. If it's Anthony's long-term goal to end up back in New York, the fact that the Nets are headed for Brooklyn in a couple years is definitely a good precursor for Melo sticking with Jersey.

#1 – Los Angeles Clippers Offer: Chris Kaman and Blake Griffin

Why Denver likes it: Kaman is an All-Star center and Blake Griffin has more potential to become a superstar than any other possibility on this list. One the one hand, it leaves the team a little thin at the swing positions and a little heavy in the frontcourt, but on the other Griffin was last year's #1 overall pick and is going to be a beast. All that said, it's doubtful the Clippers offer up Griffin (or even Eric Gordon), though they would happily wrap up and hand-deliver Kaman. This deal simply boils down to what the Clippers would be willing to do.

Does Melo Extend? Yes. He's got a veteran stud in Baron Davis to help him out with leadership, but the rest of the lineup is also so promising and talented that they'd have a great chance to win a lot of games for a long time. Plus, Anthony in L.A. seems like an ideal marriage, and the resulting rivalry between the Clipps and Lakers would be something the national media couldn't get enough of.

So what do you think of the deals on this list? Did I get it right, or is there a better deal lingering out there that could appease both the Denver Nuggets and the team receiving Carmelo? If you were the Denver Nuggets, which deal would you take?

[sefant77]

What a piece of crap.

A Knicks trade without AR or Gali? lol

Clippers Kaman AND Griffin? So what exactly want Anthony in LA then? Playing for Sterling in a team without FC?

Honorable mentions for crap like Peja + Brackins but not mentioning Butler or Chandler (much higher value to net something again in a 2011 S&T) + Roddy + Picks?