Destination: New York

(Originally published 2/23/11 in "The Montclarion")

The New York Knicks have swapped teams with the Denver Nuggets after what seemed like an eternity, allowing them to obtain prized superstar Carmelo Anthony.

Guard Carmelo Anthony once battled with the Knicks, but now will swap uniforms after the Dennver Nuggets traded him away to the New York Knicks on Monday night.

The New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves completed a three-team trade late Monday night, and the blockbuster deal that has been mere speculation up until this point became official Tuesday morning.


The Knicks obtained Chauncey Billips, Sheldon Williams, Anthony Carter and former first round pick (2006; 20) Renaldo Balkman from the Denver Nuggets. The Knicks sent over starters Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari and Timofey Mozgov along with Wilson Chandler to the Nuggets as well as a 2014 first-round pick.
Along with the first-round pick the Nuggets will also receive (at press time) a second-round and a third-round pick from the Minnesota Timberwolves, plus $3 million in cash. The Knicks also sent Eddy Curry and Anthony Randolph to Minnesota in exchange for Corey Brewer.

Even though the Knicks had to strip the depth of their roster to obtain Anthony the positives certainly outweigh the negatives. The only key losses in this deal (other than the draft picks) are Raymond Felton, because of his versatility this season; former first-round pick (2008; 6) Danilo Gallinari; and the 7’1 “rookie” (yet he’s been playing since 2004 in Russia) Timofey Mozgov. If Gallinari and Mozgov stay at the skill level they are currently playing at, the Knicks will have no trouble forgetting their departure. But these players still have tremendous potential, while Carmelo Anthony has reached a plateau with his skill.

By obtaining Carmelo Anthony, however, the Knicks have gained an advantage greater than the players they traded away. New York looks much more attractive with two superstars compared to one (Amare Stoudemire). And even though the Knicks have their stars, they’re still looking at finishing in the same position now that they were going to finish in before the trade was made. It’s certainly not what Knick fans want to hear, but when you strip an entire team to make a trade, you’re bound to have some negative backlash.

This trade was made for the future of the organization. The Knicks need to finish this year to clear them of any expiring contracts and to gather themselves in the offseason and plan their next moves. Next year they need to obtain a reliable, yet cheap, supporting cast.

With a new Collective Bargaining Agreement taking place there is no certainty in how much the Knicks can spend and how much room they’ll have to work with, but they’re pushing to obtain a third superstar in the next star-studded free agency offseason (following the 2012-2013 season). They may have their eyes on only one person, too – Chris Paul.

But for now the Knicks aren’t worrying about getting Paul, or about who will add to the depth of their roster, who will come in the future or how much money they’re restricted to spend.

For now, the Knicks are celebrating a trade that could have and should have been made months ago. Half the basketball season was spent talking about where Carmelo Anthony would end up. Finally, we have an answer: it’s where he always wanted to be and where everyone figured he would end up, in New York. It just took three months longer than necessary.

Drama Surrounding Carmelo Anthony Continues

(Originally published 1/26/11 in "The Montclarion")

When will all this Carmelo Anthony drama (or Melo’drama for short) end? Anthony has made it more than obvious that he wishes to play in his hometown, New York City. The Knicks have made it more than obvious that they want Carmelo on their team. So why hasn’t the deal been made already?

Carmelo Anthony has been waiting for a trade to the New York Knicks or New Jersey Nets, but high trade demands from the Nuggets have delayed the process.

The only thing preventing this trade from being accomplished is the Denver Nuggets’ asking price. They’re looking to take the entire Knicks roster, other than Amare Stoudemire and possibly even a draft pick, a pick that the Knicks don’t have. The Knicks are doing the smart thing for themselves by waiting it out. Anthony is going to be a free agent at the end of the season and can sign wherever he chooses. New York would be offering him the money anyway, but by waiting they’re saving all the players they would be giving up in the trade.


Understandably, they’re taking the more reasonable, approach and waiting for the Nuggets’ asking price to go down, or until the end of the season. But sometimes waiting doesn’t always pay off. There have been a few times this year in which Anthony was “almost” sent to the Knicks, then “almost” went to the Nets, resulting in chaos and confusion surrounding the entire situation.

The New York Knicks, with the team they currently have, aren’t going to be near an NBA Championship. Stoudemire is a huge plus, and Raymond Felton has been a nice surprise, but they’re still one large chip away from being able to overtake the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and/or the Boston Celtics. Sure the Knicks may have a few lucky bounces and reach the finals, but the odds are against them.

If they don’t want to make 2010-2011 a lost season they need to add a star-caliber player, similar to the Stoudemire signing this past offseason. They’re almost laying down this year, anticipating Carmelo will end up with them, but once he becomes a free agent any team can sway him to go their way. He might go to the Chicago Bulls and instantly make them a top team alongside Derrick Rose, or even worse for the Knicks, he may end up in New Jersey.

Anthony wants the spotlight, and his hometown, but he knows the New Jersey Nets share the same media as the Knicks and they’re moving their home stadium into the city shortly. They may not have the world famous “Madison Square Garden,” but they do have Jay-Z; then again Jay-Z couldn’t lure Lebron to the financial capital of the world. The only thing helping the Knicks keep Anthony away from the Nets is the chance to compete for a title. Even with Carmelo, the Nets wouldn’t be too much of a playoff threat and are still a few pieces away from getting there. The Knicks, on the other hand, are there already, and if they can add a solid supporting player (remember the Chris Paul rumors) they can be as dangerous as the upper tier teams.

If the Knicks want to lay down and wait until next season they may come to the unfortunate realization that Carmelo has decided to go elsewhere. And if he decides to do just that, Knick fans may want to point the finger at the Denver Nuggets. Reasonably they want something in return for a player who doesn’t want to be there anymore, nor do they care where Anthony goes. The only way to confidently obtain him is to be aggressive and trade for him, and if the Knicks were really serious this season about making a push, they would leave all but Stoudemire expendable. This may only be a one-year mirage we’re seeing from Felton, and Danilo Gallinari hasn’t blossomed into the player the Knicks thought he could be. Besides, would you rather have Carmelo Anthony or Eddy Curry and Wilson Chandler?

No Lebron, No Problem for Knicks and Nets

(Originally published 11/10/10 in "The Montclarion")

Amare Stoudemire may not be LeBron James, but his addition to the New York Knicks has certainly boosted the team to playoff contender status.

As Spring began, many New Jersey Nets and New York Knick fans were hopeful their team could lure LeBron James into the New York area and usher in a new era of basketball for either team. The hope turned to anger and disappointment when James choose Miami over the metropolitan area. The Knicks made the only big splash, landing Amare Stoudemire, soon after they learned that “The King” wasn’t heading to their court. The Nets’ most exciting move was the first round pick of power-forward Derrick Favors. An embarrassing season last year couldn’t land them either of the first two picks, forcing them to miss out on big-time players John Wall and Evan Turner.


The season started off well for both teams; the Nets beat the Pistons to start the year, and the Knicks won up in Toronto with the help of a Stoudemire double-double. Though neither team will catch up to the Boston Celtics in the Atlantic Division, positive strides have been made. The Knicks have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs as the seventh or eighth seed. The Eastern Conference is dominated by Boston, Orlando, Atlanta and the ruckus that is Miami, but the bottom half of the playoff spots are open to anyone, the Knicks can pull off an even .500 record or maybe a little less and still make the playoffs.

It took 18 less games than last season for the Nets to win their first game, so there is definitely immediate improvement. They even stood atop the Eastern Conference with 2-0 mark before slipping and falling below the Knicks to (currently) third, though third shouldn’t get fans thinking playoffs just yet. They have twice as many losses as wins and can fall into fourth at any point. If they want any shot at making the playoffs the Nets are going to need a lot of stellar performances and better luck than they had in the draft lottery.
Stoudemire automatically makes the Knicks better. Not only with his own athleticism, but by taking the concentration off his teammates. He allows them more space and draws more defenders than David Lee did before he was traded, then overpaid, by the Golden State Warriors.

Though the Knicks and Nets couldn’t land James, there was plenty of talk and rumors that Carmelo Anthony would land on either of the teams. The chances of this happening were similar to the chances the teams had to sign James; that may be why neither team got him. The reason the trade wasn’t made was because, allegedly, the Denver Nuggets were asking too much in return for Anthony. Frankly, both these teams need a makeover, and if that meant dumping the entire team and their contracts then it should have been done in the blink of an eye.

The Knicks could have had Stoudemire and Anthony on the court at the same time, assuming both stay healthy or aren’t suspended. Instantly that makes them a playoff lock. The Nets would probably have had to give up Favors, but if I were given the third pick in the draft to select either Carmelo Anthony in his prime or an unproven Derrick Favors, I would have made the most financially, commercially and overall best choice in Anthony.

If the Nets owner, trillionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, continues to provide the endless cash flow he’s willing to give up for free agents, and if the Knicks don’t bring back Isiah Thomas, these teams should be close to being strong contenders, the Knicks closer than the Nets by a year. With only a few pieces missing from the Knicks puzzle, in another year they could pose as a threat, the Nets may need more time to develop and will most likely take an extra year to do so, but at least there’s a sense that things are going in the right direction.