Multi-Billionaire

1.) 15 December is today, where Troy Murphy can finally be dealt. 2.) Nets have their own doubts about making the trade without Melo's extension guarantee, but realize this is their ONLY chance of landing him... because Melo will NOT guarantee extension before trade to Nets when he thinks there's still a chance for Nuggets to deal him to Knicks. It's the ONLY chance for Nets to land Melo... it's NOW... not in the summer. There's no guarantee Melo will sign extension, but they have to do it if they want to get a franchise-turning superstar in his prime not seen since they traded for Kidd back in 2001. 3.) I'm sure Nuggets are holding to the very last hope that Melo will sign the extension and stay in Denver. Imagine this scenario: Nuggets FO: "Melo we have a deal with Nets in place... you're going to be traded there UNLESS you change your mind, sign extension NOW, and stay in Denver. Are you sure you don't want to stay with us? We will not wait until 24 Feb where teams will know we are more desperate and offer less... so we are going to make a decision NOW and get it done so the franchise and you can move forward." Melo: "Screw it, I'll sign extension now and stay in Denver, just don't trade me to Nets damn." (Denver's preferred Melo response but unlikely) #1 and #2 are the main reasons... #3 is Denver's last hope but they know deep down it's not gonna happen.

Rockets were said to be on Melo's wish list aside of the East coast team...

The truth = in bold. But this is wrong... ... because the Nets are already quite convinced Melo will not leave in the summer to sign with the Knicks for A LOT less when the New Jersey-Brooklyn is not worth relocating to New York at the price of MASSIVE PAYCUT. But, there's no guarantee. It's on the Nets to believe this theory, pull the trigger and take the (smart) risk.

I don't know who's actually piling up assets... Rockets or Nets... If I were Denver GM, I'd value Terrence Williams more than those first round picks. Rockets are also said to be interested in trading for Melo without getting his extension assurance... too bad Scola is old, if he was 22-23 I'm sure Denver would be interested in him.

Who wants to bet Magic Johnson will pay any money to be the second person cured?

The first 9 replies of this thread say Bynum It's not close... Griffin will be an All Star this year.

"New Yorkers" is an attempt to lure Knick fans into becoming their fans.

I said it, OTR.

LeBron? Yes.

I predict them to be up and down the whole year and then clicking at the right time in playoffs.

Nets are convinced once he's traded there, Melo will not take massive pay cut just to move to New York. In 2012-2013, they move to Brooklyn with better crowd.

My sources tell me Denver has convinced New Jersey to do trade without his extension promise, Melo will be traded to the Nets. Sorry Knick fans.

I'm all for it... Gallo, Mayo, 1st rd pick, hell yea But I doubt Grizz will give up on Mayo so soon. His struggles this year are more about his willingness to be a 6th man, not because of decline in production. A 3rd year, 20ppg caliber young player, sacrificing for good of team? Very selfless young player.

No, they're 12-1 in the last 13... that ain't fluke. If they suffer meltdown somehow and don't make playoffs, you'd be sure D'Antoni's fired. --- Back to Randolph, I do think the kid still has potential. He needs a coach that trusts him and defines his role clearly. He's playing pressured now... he's playing for stats... thinking he has to score how many points and many rebounds in limited minutes. I think the Knicks can get a first round pick but not from bad teams that surely will be lottery bound like Clippers, etc.

I cannot see any team trade its potential lottery pick for Randolph.

He is the Anakin Skywalker of this forum... bright but has a darkside. And he needs to join the darkside (banned)... Real Deal is Obi Wan

Congrats to Karl... In 1990s, Karl's Sonics were one of the teams I feared... they had this cockiness and confidence about them... and Karl was still fiery then. I actually didn't like him then. My feelings have been mixed about him since he's been the Nuggets coach... I thought he was disinterested in his 2nd-3rd year here, and wanted him fired but found he's always been a good leader (apparent how different the team turned when he had to step down to illness last season). I'd rather see Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich, Pat Riley, or even Doc Rivers coaching the Nuggets... but Karl is pretty damn good.

Dude... whatever... New York area is New York area. I know the Nets are moving to Brooklyn, but New York city is pretty damn close to Brooklyn itself. If you weigh the pros and cons... and have the choice, any athlete would prefer to play for a bigger franchise like the Knicks than the Nets... especially now the Knicks are actually good (12-1 in the last 13 games) and Nets are still struggling. Dude the reason why I said Melo would not sign with the Nets in the offseason is that he HAS A CHOICE to sign with the Knicks. In other words, this would be more about "signing with the Knicks", than it is more about "not signing with the Nets". A lot more. This is not to say the Nets are an absolute crap team Melo won't agree to play for... the reason why he won't sign with Nets (as a free agent in the summer... if it happens) is because he would be able to sign with the Knicks. For the same money. Simple as that. But if you take out the Knicks out of equation, e.g. suppose they don't have cap to sign him. And he becomes a FA in the summer, the Nets would clearly be on top of Melo's list... at least if the decision is based on: - Proximity to his hometown - Talent wise... they're not bad especially if they keep Lopez, Harris, Favors, Williams - Solid ownership and coaching We've certainly seen LeBron bolt his own hometown for a bigger market... it really depends on Melo... how big of importance "hometown" is to him. BUT... If you trade him, it's all a different story. Like I said, he doesn't have a choice or say in any trade, except for "I'm not resigning" threats. I certainly am not Carmelo Anthony... so I don't know what is in his mind. But it really takes simple logic. If the Nets trade him regardless of his "threat"... the fact would be Carmelo Anthony is a New Jersey Net. Pretend you're Carmelo, would you really say no to the extension offer from the Nets (as much as $22 mil per season under CURRENT CBA) then opt out in the summer to be a free agent and then sign with the Knicks (reporetedly about as much as 35% paycut, which is about $15 mil per season under NEXT CBA). Why the heck would you (if you're Carmelo) take a $7 mil paycut per season for the next 4 years just to move from New Jersey/ Brooklyn to New York (15-20 mins drive)? This is not "sacrificing $7 mil per season for the sake of moving from Colorado area to New York area"... which would be understandable for a rich athlete. We're talking about "sacrificing $7 mil per season for the sake of moving from New York area to New York area"... which is madness, even for a rich athlete. Dude... you can't judge. When you make millions, $100 million may sound like "you don't need any more money in your life". But that's because you're speaking from a middle class perspective with middle class mentality, not $100 mil rich perspective mentality. But I guarantee, if you somehow have that much money in your bank account someday, your lifestyle (expenses) also shoot up... Antoine Walker had $110+ mil, thought he's good for life, and it's all gone now... It's not only the fear of bankruptcy (as different people have different financial IQs), but money also represents "status". When discussing $100 mil, you can't say it with a "middle class" mentality and say "If I have $100 mil, I won't need any more money" because I GUARANTEE if you have $100 mil, your language will also change. If you are financially smart, you'll also quickly realize your lifestyle expenses also change (sometimes scary change like Eddy Curry's) and it's gonna catch up with your wealth if you don't "game-plan" it. But say if you have $100 mil, it becomes a "status". There's guys with $100 mil fortune... there's guys with $500 mil fortune (Kobe/ LeBron)... then there's guys with $1 bil fortune (Tiger Woods). Money itself is not important to them, but it is important to measure where you are status-wise. Sure, some guys are generous like Gilbert Arenas not taking max contract in his prime, so the Wiz can sign more players... or Ron Artest signing MLE with Lakers when he could have easily got a $7-8 mil contract elsewhere. But different people have different mindset. Just because a few do it, doesn't mean that's how "it should be" with everyone who's wealthy. You said it. I'm just saying for a guy whose networth is $150 mil now (plus endorsement), an educated guess is Melo is aiming to get closer to those guys' status as at least "half Billion" guy. But here it is, I don't care if you have a high financial IQ like Magic Johnson (arguably a better businessman than he was as a player... turning his era low salary by today's standards to hundreds of millions of dollars)... or if you have a low financial IQ like Antoine Walker who saw his money go up in smoke, doesn't matter if you're Carmelo Anthony or not, it doesn't matter if you're $150 mil rich or $1 billion rich or middle class, it doesn't matter if money means nothing or everything, if you take a $7 mil pay cut annually just because you want to move from New Jersey to New York, you're a bloody idiot (financially). I doubt anyone can dispute that. Basic common sense.

The bluff is also meant to (besides scare the Nets) make the Nuggets think Knicks are the only trade partner. That's the whole point of the bluff, for the Nuggets to say, "alright we'll trade with the Knicks since Nets back off". Gallinari, Randolph, Chandler? No thanks. But according to Marc Stein (NBA #1 source), there's some teams (Dallas and Houston among them) willing to trade for him without getting his extension assurances. These teams are said to be confident in their ability to convince Melo to stay and sign extension with their teams. If this is true, the Nuggets just get considerably more leverage.

He wants New York because: 1.) it's his hometown, 2.) it's a huge market that will see his endorsements and his wife's TV career shoot up Then maybe you can list "playing with his buds" 3rd on that list. Amare is friends with Melo, but Melo has many "good" friends around the L... this is no Steve Francis - Cuttino Mobley BBF thing. Two ways Melo leaves Denver: 1.) via free agency 2.) via trade Let's explore each in-depth: 1.) via free agency By not signing extension, and opting out of his current contract, he becomes an unrestricted free agent. He can choose any team (that has cap) to sign... who do you think he will choose? Knicks or Nets? Remember he has a choice. Remember also, Knicks and Nets offer the same money. Hint: it's not the Nets. 2.) via trade Most likely what will happen, since the Nuggets are 100% FULLY AWARE that Melo will leave them for New York via free agency if they do not trade him before February deadline. So they WILL trade him, rather than lose him for nothing. Thing is, Melo KNOWS the Nuggets will trade him because of the fact above. So, his hope of signing with the Knicks in the summer as a free agent is slim to none. And he KNOWS it. Now, if he's traded, he CANNOT CONTROL where he gets traded to, as opposed to having the choice as a free agent. Melo KNOWS this, and also KNOWS the Nets offer the best package so far and he's likely to be dealt there. So pretty much, the day as a Net is pretty soon. But here it is: trade HAS NOT happened yet, so he will BLUFF the best way he can (while he's not traded yet) such as: "who says I want to play for the Nets?" "I will not sign extension if I get traded to Nets" in an attempt to scare Nets (from bidding) and if the Nets are scared trade will not happen. But suppose the Nuggets do trade him to the Nets ANYWAY, in spite of his warnings of not signing extension... Once he is in New Jersey, everything changes. Now he has been traded to New Jersey, do you think he will really say, "watch as I opt out this summer and sign with the Knicks." If he signs extension with the Nets, he will do it under CURRENT CBA which should be (for him) around $22 mil per season. If he signs a contract with Knicks this summer, he will be signed under NEXT CBA which should be around $15 mil per season. That's about $7 mil contract difference. Now taking a $7 mil paycut in his prime age where he's supposed to cash in as many max contracts as he can (while he can) because: He wants to move from New Jersey to New York... really? When New Jersey is already pretty damn close to New York itself, and the fact that the Nets are relocating to Brooklyn... Don't you think it's a [expletive]ed up reason? I can understand taking a $7 mil paycut because he moves from Denver to New York... because Denver is cold, it's high altitude, it's a small market. But New Jersey is a different city than Denver, and from there his playing cards will be considerably different. --- Summary: - If Melo is traded to Nets, he will sign an extension there - If Nuggets don't trade him after the Feb deadline, he will leave Nuggets for Knicks in the summer. - THE ONLY WAY for Nets to land Melo is via trade, taking the bluff risk that "he will not sign there" with fingers crossed. In other words, the Nets canNOT be scared of Melo's threat of not signing extension if they want ANY HOPE of landing him. But once Melo is in New Jersey, I bet my money on his changing his language of the whole situation, meaning he will change his stance from "I'm not signing extension" to "give me the pen, I'll sign extension... Screw it, New Jersey is just across the river of New York... and the Nets will relocate to Brooklyn anyway... I ain't losing $7 mil per just for playing for the Knicks when I'm already in New Jersey.". If you don't understand, I give up.

I believe Melo's card now (as far as location is concerned) is: - New York: #1 choice - New Jersey: #2 choice (they're close to New York, they're relocating to Brooklyn soon, too)... pretty damn good destination. But he's trying to bluff that he is not interested in the Nets because... why? Because he wants to go to New York. It's his #1 choice. Why settle for #2 choice when you can possibly bluff your way to get your #1 choice?? He's hoping we will trade him this season to the Knicks, he will agree to an extension before the trade is finalized. BUT IF YOU TRADE HIM TO THE NETS, his option of going to New York in the summer as a free agent is considerably different in New Jersey as a Net, than it is in Denver as a Nugget. I cannot imagine someone/ anyone taking a $7 mil pay cut PER SEASON just to move from New Jersey to New York. "I WANT TO PLAY IN NEW YORK SO BADLY, I'LL TAKE A $7 MIL PAYCUT TO MOVE THERE FROM... NEW JERSEY (A TEAM THAT IS SOON RELOCATING TO NEW YORK ITSELF)." I can see him taking a $7 mil pay cut PER SEASON to move from Denver to New York. From New Jersey to New York? New Jersey/ Brooklyn ain't New York city but that's just financially retardish.

Well, if he has the option of going to Knicks or Nets... he will definitely choose the Knicks, being the franchise already in New York, his preferred destination, and especially now that the Knicks are playing great with Amare and Felton. Melo has NOT ruled out signing extension with the Nets. If he gets traded to Nets this season... Nets being in New Jersey (and the fact that they are soon relocating to Brooklyn) are pretty much in New York area. I'm saying, if he gets traded to Nets this season, I can't see him opt out and sign with the Knicks for A LOT LESS just because the Knicks are "legitimately" in New York. It's ridiculous. We'd be talking about taking a HUGE paycut just to move from New Jersey to New York? If he signs extension with Nets it's $22mil per season... if he opts out his contract will be (as rumored) around $15 mil per season. In short: - If from Denver, I can see Melo taking a huge paycut just to move to New York. - But if from New Jersey (if he gets traded there this season), I cannot see Melo taking a huge paycut just to move to New York. It doesn't make sense. New Jersey (soon relocating to Brooklyn) is already pretty damn close to New York. If he gets traded to New Jersey, I would have my money on him signing extension.

You'd be actually lucky to trade two starters in exchange for a super-star(ter). There's no way in hell Melo signs with Nets in the summer when he can sign with the Knicks (already in New York btw), especially for the same money. If I was Denver GM, I'd be asking for your trouble kid T-Will too... and I'm pretty sure the Nets would oblige if it means landing Carmelo Anthony, even if it might be against Avery's wishes. The thought of not only playoffs, but a superstar putting seats and merchandise sales, competing night in night out would be too much to pass up.

I think he does not want Melo because of "how much" Nets have to give up to get him. Which is... stupid, honestly. Melo alone with bunch of craps can lead that franchise into the playoffs. In Melo's second season (2004-05), he led us to the playoffs while our team: - playing without a shooting guard/ 3 pt shooter for the whole year (Voshon Lenard injured on opening night and out for season). - going 17-25 in our first 42 games under coach Jeff Bzdelik and Michael Cooper Melo and Lopez would be quite devastating. He would make Lopez a winner. Melo is one of the few sure tickets for any team to the playoffs year in, year out. And I'm not even a Melo fan. It's the truth.

15 Dec is almost here