Melo Saga Over

The Carmelo Anthony saga is finally over. Anthony is going to the Knicks in a deal that also will see Chauncey Billups, Corey Brewer and spare parts going to NY with Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Timofey Mozgov and 2 draft picks going to Denver.

All along, the Knicks seemed to be the likely destination. Yes, the Nuggets were deep in discussions with the Nets on several occaisions, but I don't think anyone was fooling themselves into thinking Melo wanted to be with the organization. He never said anything publicly, but had he wanted to be in New Jersey/Brooklyn, he would have been. The Nets deal was so good Denver couldn't pass it up.

When Nets owner Mikhail Prokohorov "ended" trade talks weeks ago, most figured he was sincere with his decision. Others thought that it was a bargaining chip to drive down the price of Anthony. After all, he knew that no one could match the Nets deal. Then a funny thing happened...the Knicks got scared and decided that Melo might take the bait and sign elsewhere. So they upped their offer (thus surpassing the Nets offer of Harris, Favors, Murphy, 4 draft picks) and ultimately landed Melo.

So how does it effect all those involved? Well, obviously the Knicks walked away with the best player in the three-team trade (it also included the T'wolves taking Eddy Curry and Anthony Randloph), but in my mind there is no doubt that they overpaid to do so. Look, I think pairing Melo and Amare together will be dynamic. They will score. They will win. They will create a buzz in NY that hasn't been seen for a decade and a half. The problem in the short term is that they have no one else on the team. Chauncey Billups is a nice addition and Landry Fields will still be around, but after that their best player might just be Tony Douglas. They are going to be a handful in the playoffs this year, but certainly they are not winning the title with this crew. What GM Donnie Walsh does over the offseason will go a long way in determining whether they play for the title or not (oh, and I'd love to hear thoughts from Knicks fan right now...they are only one piece away, can you say Chris Paul, from being a 3-headed monster like that of the hater Heat).

Considering that the Nuggets were in a lose-lose situation, I think they made out pretty well. Yes, they lost Melo, but in doing so they also jettisoned 34 year-old Chauncey Billups (whose assists per game are the lowest since 2002-03) and got back several young, talented players. Individually I like Felton, Gallinari, Nene, Ty Lawson, JR Smith and Mozgov, but as a collective unit, they don't do it for me. I think Denver still has a few moves to make in order for the pieces to work together, but all things considering, they did ok for themselves.

Finally, lets talk about the Nets (since, well, they are the team that I support and this is my blog). I think all Nets' fans knew this day was coming. We knew Melo wasn't coming to NJ and I think most of us were able to justify it as being a good thing. Acquiring a player like Carmelo Anthony is never a bad thing. He would have helped make the franchise attractive, but in the end, he would not have won a title. This is team only 1 year removed from a 70 loss season. Even though they have been markedly improved this year, there are still gaping holes to be filled. Trading for Melo wouldn't have simply plugged all the holes, but in fact, it would have opened a few more. Gone would have been their starting point guard, their future stud at PF and 4 of their draft picks. Remaining would be Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries, Anthony Morrow, Travis Outlaw, Sasha Vujacic and Johan Petro. There is no way that team wins 45+ games. I'm sorry, it just isn't going to happen.

With all that being said, I was sad when I heard the news late last night. I mean, my brain said no, but my heart said yes. Who knows - maybe after meeting with Prokhorov, Melo decided he wanted to go to NJ and Denver had a change of heart and decided not to ask for Favors. The scenario was impossible, but that doesn't mean I couldn't dream of it.

The one thing that a Melo trade would have brought the Nets is a sense of hope...a sense of belonging. Sure they have an owner with incredibly deep pockets, but they are still the Nets. They still pay in NJ and even though they made the NBA Finals within the past decade (only 4 other East teams have made it since), they have the stink attached to them. No one wants to come to Jersey. No one wants to play with their current roster. At least Melo would have changed some of that.

So where to now? Well, actually there are some interesting rumors being floated around. Some reports are suggesting that the Nuggets might flip a package of Mozgov and either Felton, Gallinari or Chandler to the Nets for two of their draft picks. Other reports suggest that Portland might ship Andre Miller and Joel Przybilla to the Nets for Harris and Troy Murphy. I am trying to stay away from commenting on deals that are not official, but I am intrigued by both. I think Harris will be shipped out of town and ultimately be good for both he and the Nets. nothing against him, but I simply think he is done in Jersey and in need of a fresh start. If they could trade for Miller, they would gain some veteran leadership and after two years they could pick up the next stud point guard in the draft. Then if they could land Gallinari and Mozgov they would suddenly have a very interesting front court. The key obviously would be the development of Favors into an absolute stud who could open things up for Lopez and Gallinari.

Even if they don't go either route, GM Billy King is going to need to make some deals and the team is going to need some luck. They have the assets to improve the team. None will net them a Melo or a Lebron, but they are hoping that Favors will develop into a stud and that the future draft picks can make them relevant again - either in the form of a trade or a pick.

The final thing that I want to say is that this whole situation is messed up. The Knicks made themselves contenders, but unfortunately for them, the rest of the conference is also stronger. While the Celtics may only have 1 more good year in them the Heat, Bulls and Magic are not going anywhere. The Knicks are going to have to go through them every year in order to get to the finals. This isn't a situation where the Knicks saw an opening and mortgaged their future to win today. They suddenly aren't the best team in the East. They are still the 4th best team and I wonder if they will win the East anytime in the next 3 years.

If on;y I could be saying that about the Nets....