What I'm Thinking About 2/8

By: Matt

Carmelo Anthony used to be the face of the Denver Nuggets. Although his impact on the Nuggets franchise was less than that of draft-mate LeBron James, Anthony has been one of the NBA's premiere players for the better part of the last decade. Now it appears that the Nuggets would have been better off trading him months ago. Anthony has been vocal in his desire to leave Denver for greener pastures (namely New York). The Nuggets could have traded him before the season began, but felt that they could convince him to stay. They could have traded him early in the season, and nearly did. The New Jersey (soon to be Brooklyn) Nets offered Derek Favors, the third overall pick in this past years draft, and future draft picks. The deal seemed fair, and had the potential to set up the Nuggets for succeeding in the foreseeable future. But it never happened. The Nuggets backed down on these talks and again held onto the disgruntled Anthony. This season has turned into a disaster for the Nuggets. A team that once featured one of the league's best players and competed annually for championships now lacks identity, talent, and direction. The most recent Anthony trade discussions involved the Los Angeles Lakers, and young center Andrew Bynum. Although Bynum is a quality player, receiving him in exchange for Anthony would hardly seem suitable to Nuggets fans. This trade now seems unlikely, and as the days go bye Anthony's value to all teams not named the New York Knicks continues to drop. Now it appears that Nuggets fans will have to settle for nothing in return for their former star. The front office should enjoy having to explain how they messed this up so badly when that time ultimately (and what looks like inevitably) comes.