[Yahoo!] Carmelo privately expressing more enthusiasm to join Rockets than Knicks

We arent parting with our picks for nothing. They either are gonna lose them to us for Morey drafting a couple of good guys. Trading them for a good guy or two, us using them to move up in the draft to draft a star potential, or using them in a trade with others for a star. So they are gonna net us something either way.

 

Melo's new shoe: Bulls colors... or Rocket Red?

http://a1.twimg.com/profile_images/1134258741/melo-m7-red-1-600x372.jpg

 

Those aren't bad looking, i'd actually consider purchasing those.

 

^^

The link to that pic brings up a threat warning for me.

 

http://twitter.com/sportsguy33/status/25894748882

 

I am kinda respecting what Denver is doing here.

No real delusions of grandeur or crazy dream they can keep thier guy like Cleveland/Toronto.

They know what they want and are milking it to try and get the best package.

 

Do you see them losing any leverage as time goes by?

If it's about not dealing w/ NY b/c of alleged back channel dealing this past summer, we're all obviously on board with that. I definitely think it's in Denver's best interest to get this wrapped up sooner than later, though. Melo isn't pulling a Kobe. He's gone for real.

 

His increase isn't high enough to trigger a BYC anyway.

 

Watch them panick at the deadline and get stuck with Curry, Gallo and some picks LOL.

 

Cleveland and Toronto were stupid and should have made deals. They were not the only ones. Phoenix was just as dumb.

 

I dont count on them to do the smart thing. As many of you guys pointed out with all of those teams. The new trend is teams being very stupid and waiting out their free agents and letting them walk for nothing instead of being smart and getting something for them. Then reach the deadline and not want to get a knee jerk trade as they so call them but then get nothing then either at the trade deadline. Gamble that their star will stay and lose in every single instance. This one is starting to smell like that already too. All it takes is one Melo injury away and they are screwed. Then other teams become uninterested or lower prices could be another thing if he wont resign and his list gets smaller of teams he wants to go to. Very similar and shockingly stupid. Should jump on one before the season begins. By trade deadline? Wont get as much back or wont get a deal done at all. Carmelo is a Knick and they get nadda.

 

I think the Nuggets front office is being extremely stupid here. I just don't see the offers getting bigger.

 

I am actually finding it alarming how often this is becoming a new trend. Its almost like the Gms favor getting nothing back and allowing the SNT for peanuts for their teams? I find it odd that so many have done so. Here is the list

Jazz -Boozer (know)
Mavericks- Nowitzki(gamble)
Toronto- Bosh (Know)
Cleveland- Lebron (only legit shot)
Memphis- Rudy Gay
Phoenix- Amare (know)
Heat- Wade (not a gamble he already knew and told his organization)
Joe Johnson (gamble)


Almost zero of these traded for something. Most of them gambles or rumblings they would leave for nothing. None of the GMs moved any of them. Some of them lost out big time on the most obvious ones. Very disturbing as we reach this year with Brooks and the Nuggets with Carmelo Anthony. Teams do this alot and its not smart in most instances. Weird habit or NBA helping the free agent period collaborate some moves in the NBA? Its odd so many were not moved when its obvious. carmelo fits this category and Nuggets fall into that category of having the same things the Suns with Amare, Bosh with Toronto, and Lebron with Cavs going on. All fo rone last payday with each star. When they could be rebuilding and building back up support soon they are going for the quick last dollar out of these guys to be made and not long term safety for when they leave.

 

Its almost as if there is a script for the NBA. i am not a conspiracy theorist but this time is indeed odd in the NBA. Why keep who you know is gonna leave? Only to lose them for nothing? So many times by so many teams? Just alot of mistakes lately? Or a planned? New trend?

 

Cleveland didnt know for sure Lebron was leaving...same with some others.

 

Considering Gallo is a freaking stud, I am sure that they would be just fine with that...

 

Its the KNOWING they are going to leave that is key here. I was one of those that thought Lebron would stay in Cleveland. Although I turned out to be wrong, many of the examples you posed were scenarios where the home team kept hoping till the end that their star would stay. Like you pointed out also, some stars did stay and sign again.

The only way to fend this off is for teams to offer an extension a year before their contract runs out, and if they dont sign it fairly immediately, try to trade them right then and there.

Once upon a time, it wasnt such a big deal that a well paid player left. You did get something in return in that you no longer had to pay them. I.E. you gained cap space to sign someone else. But today, the top 10-15 players in the league are followed so closely, whenever a star comes available, their is already a peeking order to who strikes out to get them. This comes down to that with the well cited exception of the 2004 Pistons, you need stars to win it all. So you have 30 teams competing for maybe half that many true stars. Considering every team wants probably 2 stars, the math doesnt work.

What would be truly amazing, and what would level the playing field much, is that more 2004 Pistons type teams started winning NBA championships. I think the Rockets are set as well as any team to do this. A very deep team with fewer stars could wear down a team depending on 3 or 4 players to win. Recent news from the Rockets camp suggests this may be the formula they will pursue. Keep throwing fresh players at the opposing teams "stars". Make them keep those "stars" in the game longer than they want to. Decimate their bench when their in the game. Make them afraid to substitute.

Dont know if this can work, but sure would like to see someone pull it off.

 

I think the signs were written on the wall for at least 4 teams on that list. If not more. Some just got lucky and spent more money than they should to keep the Joe Johnsons and Rudy Gays. Those guys were almost sure to leave also until the teams overpaid. Lebron was almost sure to leave.

Boozer
Amare
Bosh

All three teams knew absolutely 100% of certainty these guys were leaving and their teams got nothing willfully. That is odd so many did that knowing for sure like that. Lebron people felt they could talk him out of it.

 

LOL, Melo getting booed by Nuggets fans.

http://twitter.com/nuggetsnews/status/26115301787

Just imagine how it's gonna be when he plays 42 home games getting booed constantly.

 

http://blogs.denverpost.com/nuggets/2010/10/01/fans-boo-melo-at-wec-event-pepsi-center-next/