Has Denver’s Front-Office Come to Its Senses?
If you’re still having a hard time wrapping your head around the rumored Carmelo Anthony trade to New Jersey, you can rest easy. It ain’t happening, according to ‘Melo’s agent.
Calvin Andrews says that his client will be wearing powder blue for the forseeable future.
“Carmelo Anthony is their guy,” Andrews said Wednesday, relaying what Nuggets’ management told him.
“There are no plans to trade Melo. Melo will be in a Denver uniform next year. They’re not entertaining trades for Melo. It’s not even in the cards.”
Carmelo Anthony may never lead Denver to a title, but Richard Freaking Jefferson certainly isn’t the answer.
With stars of Melo’s magnitude (and age), unless you’re getting someone back of equal stature, it’s just doesn’t make any sense to trade them away. Here’s to hoping Carmelo’s agent is telling the truth.
73 Responses to “Has Denver’s Front-Office Come to Its Senses?”
May.22 at 9:06 am
Ken says:
Rebuild. I’d trade AI first though.
May.22 at 9:08 am
TADOne says:
What exactly is his agent supposed to say?
May.22 at 9:10 am
whitewater says:
The Nuggets is the question. A.I is the ANSWER.
May.22 at 9:10 am
lol says:
agree with ken. could oust camby for draft pick
May.22 at 9:11 am
whitewater says:
Al will not be traided. they put to much time to get him. they wont waste it if they are smart.
May.22 at 9:12 am
whitewater says:
Camby…most deff.
May.22 at 9:17 am
Benoit Benjamin says:
Trading Camby doesn’t make much sense either. Who’s gonna defend if they do? They’ll just be even more of an all offense team and get ousted in the first round again.
May.22 at 9:18 am
Bubba Chuck says:
To tha kings 4 ron ron!
May.22 at 9:19 am
k says:
denver just needs to sep up on d-fence than they will b more better
May.22 at 9:20 am
Sesa says:
Get a perimeter defender at SG position. Maybe Ime Udoka will be interested
May.22 at 9:21 am
Sesa says:
What amazes me is that why the Nuggets can’t get K-Mart more shots. Martin’s almost 100% to his old form
May.22 at 9:29 am
whitewater says:
If Al steps is little ass up and Melo starts to play better D then they can not only give up less points but win. com’on does that not sound good. As i recall Al got traded b/c he wanted to win, so he should be a better leader and play better D. Defense wins championships.
May.22 at 9:32 am
Lz - Cphfinest3 says:
Sesa; Because his old form still just amounts to an average PF and you got two of the games premier ballhogs on the court, as well as an willing and able gunner of the bench. K’s game was always about grabbing rebounds, finishing in transition, and catching lobs - with Nuggs offensive weapons, he should be satisfied with the amount of shots he get IMO.
May.22 at 9:32 am
Westy says:
I don’t know about that, Sesa. His stats are down, not only in scoring but also blocks and boards. He really needs to grab 10 per and slap 2 or so shots away before his position is safe…. his contract is huge though, from memory. Cross fingers he doesn’t get injured, because I’m still a K-Mart fan.
May.22 at 9:33 am
Lz - Cphfinest3 says:
+ Nene is better when healthy.
May.22 at 9:34 am
rob stewart says:
I would trade Melo for Loul Deng and Kirk Hinrich in a heartbeat. Melo is talented but they need to part with him and Karl. Not saying Iverson is the greatest but Melo is a huge problem.
May.22 at 9:36 am
whitewater says:
yea. but they wont trade Melo. they do need to get rid of him tho. but theyn wont so thats why he needs to step up. Give denver a reason Not to trade him.
May.22 at 9:44 am
mr.1738 says:
heres the trade kenyon, kleiza, and jr smith for ron artest, problem solved
May.22 at 10:14 am
Cub Buenning says:
When you have about 8 or so “GMs,” stupid rumors such as these get started and take a week or two to finally get squashed. It would be suicide to trade Melo. I am posting my NUGS MANIFESTO later today.
May.22 at 10:21 am
The Biz says:
They to still do something to shake up their roster and put the D back in denver
May.22 at 10:41 am
Craven Chunn-Oakley says:
Carmelo is not going anywhere but to the Pepsi Center to practice.
HOW ABOUT THAT?
May.22 at 10:46 am
Brandon Hoffman says:
Boy, is this a relief. Mark Warkentien isn’t retarded after all.
May.22 at 10:49 am
Jukai says:
Someone commented here that Denver went through so much trouble to get AI. I remember them giving up practically no one for him, but what do I know. I say trade out AI, he’s too old and he’s a horrible point guard for a team that’s full of finishers. Build the team around Melo. Trust me, they were doing MUCH better when they didn’t even have AI.
May.22 at 10:55 am
Drew says:
I am looking forward to the NUGS MANIFESTO. I doubt that the Melo trade rumors were real. I am sure that Kiki made the offer, but that doesn’t mean that the Nugs were ever thinking of doing it. Melo needs to stay.
As for K-Mart. He is a good player, and he gets a lot of plays in transition. He is good when he drives to the hoop, but he doesn’t do it consistently. Only Iverson, Kliesa, and (I hate to say it) Smith drive the lane on a regular basis. At the games, our whole section groans whenever K-Mart hits his first jumper, because he starts thinking he is a 3-point shooter. The whole team thinks that way some times.
But here’s to Melo staying. It is the only smart choice.
May.22 at 10:56 am
ciolkstar says:
I’d trade Udoka and a pick for Camby in a second if I was Popp
May.22 at 11:02 am
ciolkstar says:
Maybe the whole AI + Melo experiment won’t work. Their both too similar in their strengths and weaknesses to effectively play off of each other. AI’s Philly teams full of scrappy role players seemed a lot more competitive.
May.22 at 11:15 am
Allenp says:
yeah, Jukai, they were much better. In a Hillary Clintonish if you ignore every single metric used to define better kind of way.
May.22 at 11:36 am
Cub Buenning says:
Spurs don’t need Camby. They already have the same thing, but one that is a Hall of Famer offensively and the unquestioned leader in the locker room.
May.22 at 11:43 am
Gerard Himself says:
I understand RJ clearly isn’t the solution for the Nuggets, but I have a feeling that a lot of people are starting to dislike Jefferson, and I really don’t understand why. Okay, second half of the season he wasn’t playing that well, but in the first half he was a top 5 scorer. As a Nets fan, yeah sure I would’ve liked to see Melo and Camby on “my” team, because it would be a great move for the franchise. But then again, as a fan of the team for the last 10 years, I would hate to see RJ go. If he gets back to his usual self and start defending a little better, and get his rebound numbers up, there’s nothing wrong with this guy. He can drive with the best of ‘em, get to the line and improved his jumper too. What’s with all the hate?
May.22 at 11:44 am
DP says:
I can’t say I’m all too pumped in hearing this. I really felt that Melo time was up and that he was the weakest link. But I mean what are they going to do now? Get rid of yo boy J.R.? They need some defense and Jefferson can play better D than Carmelo.
May.22 at 11:46 am
DP says:
That HATE should be aimed toward the ex-Air Canada who is now just called air because his jumpers hit nothing but.
May.22 at 11:51 am
TADOne says:
Cub: I’m anxiously awaiting your Nugs breakdown.
May.22 at 11:53 am
Cub Buenning says:
Just did my last edit and am sending it in to Sam.
May.22 at 12:01 pm
TADOne says:
Required reading. Sounds good.
May.22 at 12:01 pm
the birdman says:
What the Nuggets need to do is trade Carmello for the Matrix. This is the only situation where everyone wins.
May.22 at 12:31 pm
starbury&stevey says:
yeeeessss.thats what i wanted to hear..
but…melo for matrix..??we have already K-MART at the 4..and i dont wanna see the matrix shooting 3s with the nuggets..
matrix is beter defender,more athletic but 30/31 years old too..when melo is 23/24..and that jumpshoot…
May.22 at 12:38 pm
Lz - Cphfinest3 says:
From a b-ball perspective it would make sense to trade Melo, he’s never going to win anything being the No. 1 guy on the team IMO. Just not that character guy you would like to build around. But from a business perspective it doesn’t make any sense at all. He sell’s jersey’s, puts people in the seats and is one of the new faces of the league. Since the NBA is all about business he will stay, for now.
May.22 at 12:38 pm
maio says:
That was just a clever ruse to light a competitive fire under Melo’s lethargic butt.
May.22 at 12:39 pm
Lz - Cphfinest3 says:
I think Jefferson could be good playing with Iverson. He’s kind of like a wealthy man’s George Lynch.
May.22 at 12:54 pm
vmcb says:
I’m happy (as a Raptor’s fan) to see that the Carmelo rumours appear to be fake, seeing as now New Jersey will try harder to trade RJ for Bargnani.
May.22 at 12:57 pm
Young Chris MP3 says:
Ron. Artest.
May.22 at 1:18 pm
Rushdiddy says:
Keep Melo allstar starter, 25 and 7, best player in the olympics, national champ no more needs to be said
May.22 at 1:44 pm
whitewater says:
dude A.I is a shooting guard.
May.22 at 2:01 pm
Gerard Himself says:
DP, you’re trying too hard. It’s okay to criticize VC, but saying he can’t shoot is like saying Marcus Camby doesn’t block shots. Carter shot over 45% from the field, 36% from 3, and 81% from the FT line. There are a plenty of guards in the NBA who shoot a lot worse.
May.22 at 2:20 pm
44-32-24 says:
AI needs to go before Carmelo or Camby. Last time I checked, scoring 28 points on 35 shots does not win championships.
May.22 at 2:23 pm
B. Long says:
Melo should be traded to the Knicks. Perfect fit.
May.22 at 2:37 pm
K Holls says:
There’s no way you give up on a great young talent like Carmelo so early. Maybe we should make a trade with the Bobcats for Larry Brown!!! The first coach-for-coach trade in history!!!
May.22 at 2:47 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
What a non-story. I think it’s 50-50 at best that Melo starts the ‘08-09 season as a Nugget.
May.22 at 2:49 pm
underdog says:
First things first. Fire Karl. Only after that happened, should the front office think about any relevant trade.
May.22 at 3:14 pm
Franchise Baller says:
Since when have any NBA players given any effort or play defense??
May.22 at 3:44 pm
Weapon X says:
A.I. needs to opt out and go after his chip somewhere else. Cavs? The Answer & The King.
May.22 at 4:08 pm
BETCATS says:
well Melo doesnt play defence, but the only Defence RJ will play is in court, as the defendant. RJ CHOKED A B!TCH, SO RJ IS BRUCE BOWEN EXCEPT HE LIKE BUTTTTTTTTTT
May.22 at 4:17 pm
tealish says:
If they aren’t trading the ultimate loser, Iverson’s got to opt out and goto Cleveland. AI and LeBron could work out extremely well. In Bron, Ivy gets a true superstar teammate who can carry the team on both ends on his offnights. With AI, Bron gets the Winner he needs to get him over the hump. They don’t necessarily need a true point guard anyways since everythings going through LBJ and AI. They’ll create anything and everything you can imagine. It’ll be glorious.
May.22 at 4:20 pm
feezy24 says:
melo sucks
May.22 at 4:21 pm
tealish says:
44: He actually averages 28 on 22 shots a game for his career, but the truth gets in the way sometimes so I understand.
May.22 at 7:08 pm
B. Long says:
Lebron wouldn’t want to play with AI just out of sheer fear of getting some “Melo” on him.
May.22 at 8:30 pm
tealish says:
Melo isn’t worthy of the cornrows, armband, or the headband — let alone all 3.
May.22 at 8:57 pm
Cub Buenning says:
Why do so many of you truly dislike Carmelo Anthony? Is it his National Championship in college? His high-twenty-point scoring average for a perenial playoff team? His negative, but obviously human trait of being a lot “like the rest of us?”
Again, why so much hate?
He sucks?
May.22 at 9:17 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
National championships are a nice thing to have in your scrapbook and your NBA dot com bio, but other than that they don’t mean much a couple years after the fact. Ask Morris Peterson. I can also see how he could be viewed (rightly or wrongly) as an “I got mine” kind of guy—as in, “I got my 28 and 10, we didn’t lose because of me. Where we goin’ tonight?” He doesn’t seem to be the kind of guy who plays every game like it’s his last, unlike a certain teammate. And then there’s the off-court stuff. Are we holding him to a higher standard? Yes. But seeing that he makes $20 million or so a year (when you factor in endorsements), isn’t that fair? Of course, all that said, trading him would still be pretty silly.
May.22 at 10:12 pm
tealish says:
I dislike him because when you watch him play, you see a talented player who doesn’t care. He’ll enjoy winning but there’s no true desire to go and get it. Now, his potential isn’t as high as some people think it is, but there’s potential all the same. Yet, he doesn’t seem to be trying for anything. And then finally, he blasts the team and coaching staff in the media before an elimination game. Really, what was the purpose of that? I suspect it was because that’s what the situation called for in Melo’s POV. It was time for his star self to establish a facade that said he cared because his game certainly wasn’t saying it.
My hate is magnified by the fact that AI got duped into believing he was coming to play alongside a superstar — another winner who was going to want that ring too. Yeah, Melo’s a star alright and he can wave that National banner all he wants, he’s no winner.
May.23 at 1:36 am
Weapon X says:
i agree w/ tealish on all points. melo is a talented cat but his development seems behind the rest of his draft class both on and off the court.
May.23 at 2:28 am
clapzilla says:
Cub, I Believe That Melo Has Officially Taken Kobe’s Place As The Most Scrutinized Player In The L. It Wasn’t Fair For Kobe, It Isn’t Fair For Melo, But Someone Has To Take That Role. I Can’t Stand All These Iverson Loyalists Claiming That Melo Is Holding Him Back. Nobody Holds The Nuggets Back Like Iverson.
May.23 at 4:48 am
Russ Bengtson says:
^^ You should consider changing your name to capzilla.
May.23 at 6:52 am
räuber hotzenplotz says:
there’s nothing wrong with melo, he got an allround game and is still young, it would be stupid to trade him as he is the future of nuggets’ franchise. melo can also play d, i remember him guarding lebron some years back and he shut em down, the problem is his head and a fat mans body, get him on a bike 60 miles per day, sprints, mountains…
May.23 at 8:56 am
J Buckets says:
If denver is going to deal some 1 they should deal Kenyon and J.R. Smith to the cavs for Wally and Big Ben. It will give them exactly what they need, a good rebounder and a sharpshooter from the 3
May.23 at 9:08 am
melo smurf says:
First off richard jefferson aka rj sucks, the only reason why he played sooooooooo good is because of jason kidd the nuggets need some d thats true and i garuntee that they wont trade ai because they worked sooo hard to get him. Melo is the best player in his draft class skill wise because he is the better shooter between wade and lebron.
May.23 at 9:13 am
LAN says:
they shouldnt trade any1 they should put a.i. pg n start givin j.r. smith more courts hes ranked in top 10 in league in points per 48 and shoots at abov 40% from trey. and j buckets jr is a better 3 point shooter that wally n bens contract is just nasty
May.23 at 9:17 am
LAN says:
i got an idea though, trade him for beasley or rose. if denver is so desperate for change
May.23 at 9:29 am
LAN says:
man i just read all the comments man every1 stop hatin on melo and rj both r nice. as the melo add on slam says ‘earn respect, the rest will follow’ hes earnt his respect wer just waitin for a bit more to follow
May.23 at 10:57 am
Cub Buenning says:
Russ, we obviously don’t see eye to eye on many things, which is fine, but a ncaa title for the scrapbook? Maybe for a guy like Erv who won at both levels, but you mentioned MoPete. Think, his boy, Mateen values his title?
May.23 at 12:32 pm
Spaceship Jay says:
Again, NBA players have 5 YEARS to reveal their true selves to the world (for me, they have 3). To be in the league for 5 years, and to be where Melo is ON and OFF the court, is stupid. I’m in Far Rockaway (not the rap hood, the real hood). You can take the most savage guy I know and I guarantee that there would be a behavioral change 2 to 3 years after experiencing all that Melo has. Long story short, this is Melo, stop b@#$’n about it. There is no upside.
May.23 at 2:37 pm
J Buckets says:
LAN wally is a better spot up shooter than J.R.
With A.i and mello always working the paint
Wally is a good fit.
May.26 at 7:29 pm
Cameron G says:
ahh that sucks. id like him on the nets. along with vc,devin harris,and maybe dj augustin