If the Nuggets leave this deal on the table then they deserve whatever hell they get as a result. That said, I realize there's probably a third team involved with some work yet to be done. Just saying if the Nuggets balk again and try to sweeten the pot (i.e. including Harrington) then they deserve nothing but misery.
Four 1st rounders is a lot of guaranteed contracts to take on in one year. They would have to make some deals to get rid of some players.
...does he really need to go home that bad? I can't argue with the $65mil. It's hard to turn that much money down to go where you want but when your options are: -play on a playoff caliber team in Denver for 65 million -take the 65 million to NJ to be on the roster of what was recently one of the worst teams in league history but you get to move back home in a few years ...it seems like you gotta go for more competitive team. If Melo agrees, it seems like he is saying money>home>winning
Let's jump in and take Murphy's contract. Throw Miller and Jeffries out. Screw New York w/o screwing ourselves too much. And get an okay big man for the short term
I wouldnt worry if I were the Nets...Those 4 first rounders could turn out to be Robert Traylor, Kwame Brown, Joe Alexander, and Brandon Wright...I think they'll live with that...Although I think Melo is vastly underrated, you cant get outta the dungeon hoping the players drafted with "upside" get you to the top...
Denver is going to be dropping close to, if not more than $40M in payroll (this year vs next)...I think they can pull together the cash for the rookies.
All this still hinges on Melo saying yes to a extension. That has always been one of the big issues holding the deal up.
I would trade four 1st round picks for Anthony with the right contract- long term with NO no trade clause.
I woudn't say they really need to save money, but that's obviously the driving factor. The luxury tax really changes things, because it doubles Murphy's $12mil salary. Even mid lottery pick isn't worth $24mil. Especially in a weak draft class like the this. And those first rounders the Nuggets are willing to give up are likely the late(r) ones ('11 LAL, '12 HOU lottery protected).
FINALLY !!! Hopefully this goes thru and then it opens up the door for us to steal NENE from the Nugs..
Based on statements he's made the last few weeks, the $65MM is clearly more important to Melo than winning. That much is easy. The priorities you have listed are in the correct order. Honestly, I don't think he's even pretending otherwise.
Yeah, this is a VERY interesting part of the story. I will be quite intrigued to see whether this trade (if it happens) is structured as a three-team deal or as two separate trades (with the Murphy/picks for nothing portion being the second part). If it is a three-team deal, then New Jersey walks away with a $12M TPE for Murphy, while Denver "just" gets tons and tons of salary/tax savings. In a more just and fair world, this would be how the deal is structured, so that the Nets can have another asset in their holster to improve their now-depleted roster (besides Anthony, Billups and Lopez). However, if it is structured as two separate trades, then it is DENVER who (on top of all the other crap they're getting from New Jersey) also nets the $12M TPE. This could be significant, as it may determine whether Denver even elects to clear additional cap space for this summer or not. Also, if they have that Murphy TPE in their back pockets, and since this proposed multi-part trade gets them well under the luxury tax threshold, it is less likely that Denver feels the need to "dump" Nene at the deadline next week. The problem with that is, Yao's salary still counts against the luxury tax, despite the fact that insurance is paying is actual salary. Trading Murphy into another team's cap space and/or trade exception avoids this complication for Denver. Also, your proposed trade would actually ADD salary to the Nuggets, something they're trying to avoid. And, as you well know, the Rockets could not absorb Murphy's large salary with the Ariza TPE. Fixed. Don't forget that the $65MM figure is just the EXTENSION. By not opting out of his current contract to become a free agent, Melo also gets the ~$18MM under his current contract for the 2011-12 season.
Harris, Lawson, Carter (exp), Uzoh (exp) Afflalo (exp), Smith (exp) Harrington, Forbes (exp) Favors, Martin (exp) Nene (player opt), Birdman I'd look at moving Kenyon Martin for a young swingman or Michael Redd who's also an expiring contract .
I've (not just me, though) been talking about this for a while - Stanley Kroenke isn't a Mark Cuban or James Dolan - he doesn't like being in the luxury tax and only tolerates it since they've been a decent playoff crew of late. To trade Carmelo midseason, he'll want out of the luxury tax immediately. He rightly sees no sense in paying an $82M payroll with an additional ~ $10M in tax payments when his revenue will be decimated. Why pay Andrei Kirilenko or Jared Jeffries or even Troy Murphy their salary (plus tax) to contribute to a sinking titanic when you could just nab immediate payroll and tax savings as high as $20M? The one trick is....Murphy technically does have to come to Denver and THEN by laundered through Cle/other for a matching TE. Can't send over the $12M TE in a package for Anthony at $17.7M
http://www.northjersey.com/sports/p...now_its_up_to_Carmelo_Anthony_to_say_yes.html Sources: Nets, Nuggets reach agreement; now it's up to Carmelo Anthony to say yes BY AL IANNAZZONE After nearly six months of pursuing Carmelo Anthony, countless phone calls, text messages, trade proposals, counteroffers and acrimonious times the Nets are close to landing the four-time All-Star small forward – finally. The Nets and Nuggets have reached a tentative agreement on a deal involving Anthony, multiple NBA sources told The Record. The deal is pending Anthony agreeing to sign a three-year, $65 million contract extension. If Anthony says yes, the Nets will get Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Sheldon Williams, Melvin Ely and Renaldo Balkman from the Nuggets. In turn, the Nets will send Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, Troy Murphy, Ben Uzoh and four first-round picks to Denver. The Nets won’t do the trade unless Anthony agrees to the extension. They’re expected to meet with him during this All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles to try and convince him to join them. Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov, general manager Billy King, CEO Brett Yormark and part-owner Jay-Z are in Los Angeles and likely will meet with Anthony to try and sell him on the future of the franchise and the move to Brooklyn. If Anthony rejects the Nets, the Knicks are expected to be the frontrunners to land him. The Nets then would pursue other deals, including one that would send Harris to Portland for Andre Miller, but would involve other players. This agreement is tentative because some things still need to be worked out. One would be where Murphy and his expiring contract end up. The Nuggets want to trade him, perhaps to Cleveland, and may need a draft pick or two to entice teams to take Murphy, who has hardly played this season. That’s one of the reasons the Nets are including four first-round picks to get Anthony. It’s the Nets' pick this year as well as the Lakers', which is protected 1-through-18, and Houston’s and Golden State’s next year. Both have varying degrees of protection so there is no guarantee the Nets would have used them next year either. The Nets basically acquired these picks to put themselves in position to acquire a player of Anthony’s magnitude if he became available. But the biggest thing this is contingent upon is Anthony agreeing to play in Newark for a little less than a season and a half – or less if there is a lockout next season. Anthony’s first choice is to play for New York, but the Nets will be in Brooklyn beginning the 2012-13 season. Anthony is from Brooklyn. When they meet with him, the Nets likely will pitch him on their global reach with Prokhorov’s influence, and the fact they’re building a franchise around Anthony in his hometown. Last month, Prokhorov pulled the Nets out of talks for Anthony when they were close to reaching an agreement on a three-team trade that included the Pistons. On Jan. 19, Prokhorov stopped the talks and cancelled a meeting with Anthony for the next day. But the Nuggets called the Nets earlier this week and they re-engaged in conversations. The Nets also had the most to offer and were willing to give up assets and provide Denver some salary-cap and luxury-tax relief to get Anthony. He is a marketable star with whom they can open Brooklyn and could help them attract Chris Paul. But everything is contingent upon Anthony say yes to Prokhorov and the Nets.
Won't happen. The Rockets aren't going to get into this deal. Denver wants to trade Murhpy for a TPE or pure capspace, something the Rockets cannot offer.
