Some sports’ trade deadlines arrive with a ton of hype and coverage, but rarely a trade that’s actually interesting, *cough* NHL *cough*. The NBA trade deadline is not one of those lame ducks, and 2011 was no exception. In fact, the 2011 deadline was one of the craziest in recent memory, with 14 trades involving 17 draft picks and 49 players, ranging from the Carmelos and Derons of the world all the way down to the Luke Harangodys. I’d love to go through every one of them, but that would require a lot more space than I have. I’ll take the space I do have to break down the deal that shuffled the deck at the centre of the universe: New York City.
After all the Melo-drama, the New York Knicks finally got their man, acquiring Carmelo Anthony along with Chauncey Billups, Renaldo Balkman, Anthony Carter, and Shelden Williams from the Denver Nuggets, and Corey Brewer from the Minnesota Timberwolves. In return, the Nuggets got Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Galinari, Timofey Mozgov, Kostas Koufas, the Knicks’ 2014 first-round pick, second-round picks in 2012 and 2013 (both originally belonging to the Warriors) and $3 million in cash. As part of the deal, the Timberwolves picked up Eddy Curry’s expiring contract and Anthony Randolph from the Knicks, the Nuggets’ 2015 second-round pick and $3 million.
After wading through the details of that monster deal, what does it all mean? It means that the Knicks will be starting two of the best players in the league, in their prime, for at least the next five years or so.
I read a lot of articles from various sports media outlets leading up to and following the trade about how Carmelo wasn’t worth the price, how he was just a volume shooter who couldn’t, and wouldn’t, play defence. That’s bogus. Carmelo Anthony is not the best scorer in the league. Kevin Durant, Lebron James, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Dwyane Wade are all averaging more points per game and all shoot a higher percentage from the field. But Carmelo Anthony is the most versatile scorer in the league. Carmelo Anthony is faster than you, and if he’s not, then he’s stronger than you. He’s probably stronger and faster than you. He can play with his back to the basket and he can kill you from the outside. He can get to the line, where he shoots better than 80 per cent. When you need a bucket, say, I don’t know, sometime in May or June, Carmelo can get it for you any way you want it. That kind of skill set is rare and invaluable.
Is Carmelo Anthony a terrific defender? No. He doesn’t have the mentality to lock down his guy, possession after possession, game after game. But he has shown himself to be more than capable when he wants to be, just ask Kobe Bryant. When the Knicks play the big games, Carmelo will show up on both ends of the court. Throw in the fact that he’s a New Yorker who wants to play in the Garden more than anywhere else and it’s a slam dunk. If you can get Carmelo Anthony, you do it.
Yes, the price was steep, but it was worth it, and let’s not forget that Carmelo didn’t arrive in the Big Apple alone. Flying in with him, somehow under the radar, is a former Finals MVP, Chauncey Billups, who is definitely an upgrade at the point-guard position over Raymond Felton.
It’s not all doom and gloom in Denver, either, and I think, given the circumstances, the Nuggets came out of this in pretty good shape. They avoided getting Leboned, Boshed, or whatever you want to call it, by getting the most they could for their departing superstar. Along with draft picks, the Nuggets got a couple of nice young players in Danilo Galinari and Wilson Chandler, a promising big man in Timofey Mozgov and either a really good backup guard, or a good trade chip in Raymond Felton. They’ll have to make a decision on whether to resign Chandler after the season, but the rest are signed for at least one more. Remember, these guys made up the majority of a starting lineup that had already begun New York’s resurgence and they’ve started well in Denver, beating the East-leading Celtics in their post-trade home opener.
Nuggets fans should feel good about where they’re at. Kenyon Martin’s $16 million salary comes off the books after this season, meaning they should be able to re-sign anyone they want to keep among their list of expiring contracts (Martin, J.R. Smith, Wilson Chandler, and Aaron Afflalo). As part of the Anthony deal, they have a $17 million trade exception they can use to sign a marquee free agent if and when they choose.
It would be rude not to mention what the Timberwolves got out of the deal but, to be honest, no one really cares. It is kind of funny that one team has now accumulated Eddy Curry, Darko Milicic, and Michael Beasley. Funnier still is that team’s GM is David Kahn (widely regarded as the worst in the league). Unfortunately, Minnesota is hopelessly irrelevant, their fans can only count the days until Kevin Love inevitably leaves, and don’t even have the comfort of knowing that Clippers fans understand their pain. They once did, but now they have the immeasurable pleasure of watching Blake Griffin on a regular basis, so they don’t care anymore.
