What will happen with Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony now that New Jersey Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov has pulled his team out of trade talks? Let’s look around at some the reaction to the move, and some of the possible fallout.
There is, of course, an assumption that Anthony will now wind up with the New York Knicks. That, however, might not be a fait accompli. Yahoo! Sports is reporting that Anthony’s reps are courting the Chicago Bulls.
New York Post columnist George Willis lauded Prokhorov’s willingness to make a tough call on Anthony.
In announcing the Nets will no longer pursue Carmelo Anthony, Prokhorov stunned the NBA world where players and agents own much of the power, forcing media and teams to cater to their every whim.
By saying enough is enough he took a surprising and unconventional stand that should be applauded even if it means watching bad basketball in Newark for a while.
Stare-Ledger columnist Dave D’Alessandro has a different take on Prokhorov’s decision.
The New York Times discusses how the spotlight, and potential distractions that come with it, is now trained squarely on the Knicks in the ongoing Melo-Drama.
The Denver Post is saying that the move by New Jersey leaves the Nuggets, who understand they have to trade Anthony, scrambling for a solution.
Make no mistake. Despite claims by Ujiri that the Nuggets have developed contingency plans in dealing Anthony, the resounding rejection by Prokhorov came as a shock to Nuggets management, which has privately boasted for months that New Jersey would not back away from a trade.
Where do the Nuggets turn next, with the trade deadline five weeks away?
While the Knicks now have a chance to revive Anthony’s dream to play in New York, their trade bid is far from a slam dunk. Denver management has believed for weeks there will be more than one NBA rival willing to trade for Anthony without any assurance he would agree to a long- term commitment with his new team.
So, in the end, it seems like this is going to drag on for a while. Keep your seat belts buckled, people.