When forward Carmelo Anthony brings the circus to America’s basketball mecca, the hullabaloo is good for the Nuggets.
The louder the chants of “We want Melo!” rattle the walls of Madison Square Garden during today’s game between Denver and the New York Knicks, the higher the trade value of Anthony gets pushed.
Amid the chaos and distraction of Anthony’s search for NBA happiness, here is what has come into clearer focus for Denver, after taking a measure of recent league activity.
Waiting to trade Anthony after stepping away from a preseason deal that involved New Jersey and Nets rookie power forward Derrick Favors has, if anything, increased the number of suitors for Melo.
Anthony could be regarded as the piece that pushes a championship contender over the top, which is the kind of big-headline deal that could be consummated as the Feb. 24 trade deadline draws closer.
There are also indications that teams might yet emerge that are willing to take on Anthony without the assurance of him signing a long-term contract. If Melo can’t rapidly be sold on his new NBA city, he could be flipped in yet another trade within a matter of weeks. That would explain how somebody like Michael Jordan and the Charlotte Bobcats could enter the bidding for Anthony.
Although point guard Chauncey Billups has often looked every last, dog-tired day of his 34 years this season while struggling with 36 percent shooting from the field, the potential trade of Anthony might actually be making Billups more valuable to the Nuggets.
If (or when) Denver trades Anthony, it will be more difficult for the team to part ways with Billups, contrary to conventional wisdom that suggests the George Washington High School graduate would also be moved as part of the team’s rebuilding process. Without Anthony as the name atop the marquee at the Pepsi Center, hometown hero Billups figures to become even more essential in the dual role of ticket salesman and mentor to younger players.
Circus is a good thing for Nuggets general manager Masai Ujiri as he entertains deals for his all-star forward before the trade deadline. To quote the late, great P.T. Barnum: There’s a sucker born every minute.
In the pursuit of Anthony, that greater fool might be named Mikhail Prokhorov, new owner of the New Jersey Nets. Or it could be James Dolan, owner of the Knicks.
Hey, you overpay for everything in the Big Apple, from a pastrami sandwich to an NBA star capable of averaging 25 points per game and putting fannies in the seats.
When weighing potential trades for Anthony, the Nuggets have made it known throughout the league that they value future draft picks more than established, high-priced veterans.
Just as the adverse impact of the $17.8 million salary of Utah forward Andrei Kirilenko had on Denver’s luxury tax was a major factor in killing the original multiteam trade involving New Jersey for Anthony, don’t expect the Nuggets to take on four years and in excess of $50 million for a proven player such as Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala in any new deal.
Denver prizes first-round draft choices above everything else in offers for Anthony, figuring the more shots you have at acquiring the next Kobe Bryant or Kevin Durant, the better chance the Nuggets will have of actually winning their first championship.
Coming to Madison Square Garden on a sore right knee that did not prevent him from creating healthy hysteria, Anthony tried to maintain that this is just another date on the league calendar. “Everybody’s been circling it for me,” Anthony told reporters in New York. “So I didn’t have a chance to circle this game.”
But circle this: The serious shopping season for Anthony has officially begun. Nuggets representatives are standing by to take your calls.
Mark Kiszla: 303-954-1053 or mkiszla@denverpost.com
