Multi-Billionaire

Gallo is my boi, but he too (according to sources) is not happy about prospect of playing for Nuggets. You don't want want players who publicly speak displeasure about (prospect of) playing for your team. Houston also got Yao's expiring insurance-paid contract to offer us, plus KMart/ Brooks, plus Knicks 2012 unprotected pick, plus Jordan Hill, trumps NY's package. I wouldn't lie, if Nets really back out (not bluff), Knicks' package of Chandler, Gallo, Fields, and picks is most attractive. But Chandler and Gallo essentially shot it down. Nugs would be fools to pursue it when they know those players are not keen on playing for the organization.

You better believe maboi Woj

^Because he won't have a choice if we trade him to a team that is willing to rent him. Whether or not the Rockets are confident about resigning him, it's none of our (Denver's perspective) business. But imo they should be. If not both of them, Kevin Martin or Aaron Brooks alone is better than the Knicks package, for the fact that their value just got a lot worse when Chandler said he's not staying with Nuggets long term.

^Like I said in my post, you don't know for sure he's a rental for them. If you're the Rockets and willing to take risk, you gotta feel confident, esp at one time it was said they were on Melo's wish list and Melo's top priority (read article below) is signing extension, not sign a new contract with a new team under next CBA. Rockets are fair-sized market, definitely bigger than Denver... http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/ian_thomsen/01/18/carmelo/index.html

^Maybe... I'm not serious with that comment... but a man like that, you don't know what's up with his bag of tricks just when you think you have him figured out, he surprises you. What better than to familiarize yourself with this whole NBA thing than trading for a superstar? Learn how a franchise player can do for your sports team, success on and off the court. For a foreigner investor like him, Melo would make him see the NBA from a larger scope.

Knick fans are acting like they have the upper hands now... we don't know if Prokhorov is bluffing to prompt Nuggets to do deal... and even if they mean it, we can still turn to Rockets. Furthermore, Wilson Chandler already stated he would not play in Denver. That complicates things as he's a FA this summer... and he leaves us in the summer? Gallo also said he wouldn't want to be traded to Denver. Now this uncertainty of their (Chandler and Gallo) commitment to Nuggets just severely drop their package value. I will take Kevin Martin (at least 20+ppg for the next 4-5 years?), and I'm sure for Carmelo, the Rockets will go the next step and include Aaron Brooks... who we can trade to another team for some value. Yeah, they won't get commitment from Melo, but they should be confident because they were at one time on Melo's wish list, and Melo's top priority is security and pay esp when lockout hits.

Staff that discourage members from posting, instead of discouraging them to use personal attacks on members such as "dolt", ... lol Real, how did you get him to be on staff (discourage members from posting and personally attack members)?

I won't refute Fields is a good player, but he's not a player we (from Nuggets perspective) get excited about if he's included in the Melo trade package. Walsh: "Chandler, Curry, 1st rd pick" Denver: "No" Walsh: "Alright, we'll include Fields too, deal?" Denver: "..." I mean, he is a good player and all but really doesn't make any friggin difference! He's not that good of a player. I'd have Fields on my team though, no doubt... but he's hardly a reason why you're excited about in trade package, when your team is giving up Carmelo.

I certainly have no idea what's the real reason, it could be just to gain leverage to trigger Denver to deal, or because the price was too high (it is), or because he feels insulted. But Prokhorov is no stranger to basketball, he owned CSKA Moscow basketball team that won Euro league title, while he might not be familiar with NBA rules and players names, he certainly got an advisor (if not Billy King himself) who gives him info. Kroenke (Nuggets owner) had a non-GM team advisor named Bret Bearup although the team already had Mark Warkentein and Rex Chapman as its official GM. Whenever Wark and Chapman presented a trade proposal to Kroenke, Bearup would be in his ears advising him, "yes it's a good deal." "No, it's not a good deal, because we want to go after young players", etc. I don't expect the blunder moves he made in summer (signing Farmar, Outlaw) to continue... he will only get better as he "plays and hangs around" longer with this.

Good deals and bad deals are what decide one to be wealthy or bankrupt. Judging by his fortune, seeing good deals from bad ones is an everyday thing for him. I'm sure he (while away from US) instructed King to do whatever it took to get Melo, but he did not know the detail and extent of the deal, and how high Nuggets were asking back... I think King updated him with the progress like, "we almost got him"... and he'd reply, "keep working on it." But King never said, "we have to give up Favors, Harris, 2 first rd picks and they're still asking for more." Once he came to US, it became clear to him this deal turned from good to bad because of how much they'd have to give up. The decision to end the deal is a good one because he has the ability to see good deals from bad ones, or the good ones that have become bad, which is the case for this deal. Keep making good decisions, and willingness to pay luxury tax and commitment to winning on any price (some owners just want to own franchise to profit from revenues, not win championships), and they're definitely on the right track. This vid cracks me up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCPf95_VGyQ I never met with Carmelo and I never spoke with him, maybe he sent me e-mail but really I don't use computer... that's why I haven't/ missed it... or maybe the carrier pigeon got lost. Who knows?

I am officially a Prokhorov fan now... man got style, vision, guts, but easygoing at the same time. He's a sports addict that is committed to Nets. For all the fuss about Cuban being the best owner, he's only worth $2.4 bil. Prokhorov dwarfs him. His passion and commitment to Nets are going to be apparent without the Cuban-like baggage on court side. Although they have a bad record, Nets fans are lucky, lucky, lucky, they're in good hands.

Some experts say this is really a PR move by Melo to say no to the Nets, but Melo doesn't want to be a bad guy like LeBron to Nuggets fans, and he allows Nets to say they're the ones backing away from the deal to save the franchise's face. Or it could be a perfect good cop/ bad cop thing pulled off by Nets. They had been good cop by being desperate to Denver (King) and Prokhorov shows up and says if good doesn't work, then we'll be bad, show some pride and pull away from the deal.

I am guessing this is a way to push us back, the Nets had been willing to move heaven and earth to do this, and by stopping being desperate, they pretty much take all our leverage away. If we don't deal with Nets over petty throw ins like Renaldo Balkman, Damion James, a draft pick "more" tiny matter, Ujiri should be fired effectively and immediately. A $500K/ year man trying to control an organization of billionaires and millionaires doesn't make sense from the start. --- Although I think this is Nets strategy to position themselves better in the negotiation, I wouldn't be surprised if Prokhorov meant his words. He's pretty much been insulted by Melo, and by Nuggets with this cheap negotiation. I think he's a great owner with great vision for life (seeing his interview in 60minutes), also owner with the deepest pocket too. The Nets fans and organization should cherish having this man, not Melo.

I'll take a package of Aaron Brooks and Kevin Martin over any Knicks package. Frye was untouchable in his rookie year remember? The Knicks fans' obsession for Fields is the same with their obsession for Frye back then. Fields has slow feet, unimpressive lateral speed, and so-so athleticism. Sure I think he'll be a solid (role) player in his career. I said it on draft night, that he reminds me of Rick Fox but he's a taller and longer version. He'll be that type of 3 pt shooter, defender, facilitator, slow role player, but certainly not this up-and-coming star Knicks fans seem to make him to be, and certainly not a reason to be excited about if he's included in the trade package for Melo.

He's been an improved rebounder this year, and he can really pass the ball, except he rarely runs a team like LeBron does. I believe in his defensive ability, and unfortunately, his laziness to go with it. Without a doubt, Melo's willingness to play D hinges on motivation. If he was on a championship contending team, where he believes his team really has a shot to win the whole thing, he would be motivated to be a lock down defender, e.g. in playoffs. Yes, I said "lock down", I believe he has the tools and ability to become an All NBA defensive team. He's strong, he's physical, he has quick feet to stay in front of his man, but all is missing is his willingness and motivation.

Problem is he's sticking to his guns when other top NBA sources from ESPN, Yahoo, CBS keep saying the opposite. The more he defends his sources, the stupider he makes himself. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Al8T1bONIzzTHpzcvRYIqfW8vLYF?slug=ap-nets-anthony

Fields reminds me of Knicks' own former rookie Channing Frye. Seems to have an "on-fire" rookie season... I remember everyone on the Knicks were made available for trade except Frye. But I really don't see anything special from Fields, just like Frye, he'll be a role player for life.

^Sheridan was adamant about Melo's "New York or nothing" stance... Then reports emerged from Stein, Broussard, Wojnarowski, Spears and basically all reliable sources that Melo has not ruled out Nets and the fact the Nuggets and Nets have worked the fine details of the trade for weeks/ months. Do you really think Nuggets have no knowledge whatsoever on Melo's intent on signing with Nets (whether he'd do it or not), and worked their [expletive] off on trade details for weeks, only for Melo to say, after the trade framework is done, "No, I will not sign extension with Nets. Ha-har you worked on it for weeks/ months only for me to shoot it down." It doesn't make sense. The fact that Nuggets are willing to go this far and this long with Nets is a reason to believe they know there's a big chance Melo will agree with extension with Nets, which clearly proves Sheridan's sources wrong. He's covering his [expletive] now... before people categorize his sources as New York tabloid/ bleacher report legitimate. I don't care if I'm wrong or right, it doesn't matter. I analyze and try to figure out the situation. Obviously, I'd want the Nuggets to deal with the Nets more than Knicks.

Not so fast, Knick fans http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/ian_thomsen/01/18/carmelo/index.html Did Melo just give himself (his leverage) away here? Since Denver pretty much ruled out trading him to Knicks, this means he will not risk signing with Knicks as a FA in summer. He wants extension, not new contract with a new team as a FA. He also said: If Ujiri ALREADY KNOWS if Melo will or will not sign extension with Nets, and Denver is still talking with New Jersey about trade, the answer is "yes he will sign extension with Nets"? Sheridan is just covering his [expletive] for his early story 1 month ago when he pretty much guaranteed Melo will go to NY.

Pau: "huhgggnggaahhh" Kobe: "Brandon Roy, you watching this? This is what you should do to Oden, the next time he gets injured again", "LeBron, you can do this to Cleveland too, oo yeah you already did." Ron: "lol Kobe wouldn't do that to me." Lamar: "Ooooo he has actually, since the day you decided to sign with this team. We're all his [expletive]es (weak lol)" DHarris: "Get your [expletive] back on the line" Vujajic: "Where's my fiancee? I can't see her! (I knew it! She will leave me the moment she realizes I'm an NBA scrub not All Star like I've been telling her)." (moments later spots her with Prokhorov in VIP suite) "Damn on Lakers I was Kobe's [expletive], on Nets I'm Prokhorov's, back in Slovenia I'm Goran Dragic's"

He didn't say New York "city" though...

J...R... Swish http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWSJjUd4zhc Just IF he had Afflalo's brain and attitude, he'd be a franchise player.

^If Melo not signing extension before the trade deadline, then he must be traded. I do think even if we make the Finals with Melo and lose, he will still leave Denver. His agency, CAA, wants to access to the riches, power, and benefits from the richest owner in the L (Phokorov). I knew he was the richest, but had no idea he dwarfed others ($19 bil). Second richest is Paul Allen at $11 bil. Third richest is Lakers minority owner Philip Anschutz at $6 bil. Kroenke (Nuggets owner) is only $2.7 bil... Cuban? $2.4 bil. No doubt, if it's not NY, CAA wants Melo to play for Nets. Btw, Ujiri got a text from Heat who offer LeBron and Bosh for Melo http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/visual/whatshot/kroenke-ujiri.jpg

Isn't this considered tampering by NBA rules?

Arron Afflalo with career high 31 pts (1st career 30 pt game)... Ty and J.R. keep pushing the ball. Nugs are in good hands.