When Carmelo Anthony stepped on the court at Madison Square Garden Sunday, announced as part of the visiting team, cheers rained down on him like he was Willis Reed. The New York fans wanted him to know what they thought of talk of him coming to the Knicks.
But despite reports yesterday that the Knicks are the only place Carmelo Anthony would sign an extension, others sources are saying that New Jersey is still in play, according to the Denver Post. Meanwhile Nuggets General Manager Masai Ujiri called the situation with the Nuggets resigning him “encouraging.”
New Jersey being in play would at least give Ujiri some options, because if it is just the Knicks he is in trouble.
Knicks fans and media keep touting their appealing assets for a trade such as Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler and rookie of the year candidate Landry Fields, plus the expiring contract of Eddy Curry. Chandler maybe could be turned into a first round pick if the Nuggets prefer.
Not that appealing, frankly. Gallinari is a designated shooter who fits well in the Mike D’Antoni system but may not elsewhere, Chandler is a nice role player and while we like Fields he’s a guy fitting in a system not a guy who is going to carry a team. Anthony is a guy who can carry a team. Let’s not pretend this is something close to an even swap.
Neither is New Jersey’s reported offer but at least it includes the promising Derrick Favors, the useful this season Troy Murphy and more picks. It is the more appealing offer by far. The only question remains would Anthony sign there and spend a season and a half in Newark before making the move with the Nets to Brooklyn? There have been conflicting reports about that for months, so now there are conflicting reports again. Shocking.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets are not giving up hope. Which is a dangerous thing. Then again, Anthony is feeding that hope. Here is what Ujiri told the New York Post.
“From when I got on board until now, that’s encouraging. We have had a lot communication. I’m sure everybody thought he’d be gone at training camp,” Ujiri added. “It’s promising that he’s still here.”
About the only thing we know for certain is that Anthony wants to sign the extension wherever he ends up, he confirmed to the New York media. He’s not stupid, he wants to get paid under this CBA. It’s just a matter of where.