Jersey Shored Up?

by Jeff Clark on Jan 10, 2011 6:38 AM EST in NBA Articles

Aside from putting together the core pieces of the team the Pistons should have formed in 2004 when they passed on Carmelo Anthony, I'm struggling to figure out what the New Jersey Nets are doing with the proposed trade being rumored at the moment.

Nets close to landing Anthony - NBA - Yahoo! Sports

The proposed trade will send Anthony, Hamilton, Billups, Nuggets guard Anthony Carter and forward Shelden Williams to the Nets. The Nuggets will receive two first-round picks from the Nets, point guard Devin Harris, rookie forward Derrick Favors, guards Anthony Morrow, Ben Uzoh, Stephen Graham and Quinton Ross. The Pistons will get Nets forward Troy Murphy and center Johan Petro.

On one hand, there are shades of the Kevin Garnett deal, where he wasn't originally excited about joining another rebuilding effort so the deal was called off until the Celtics could acquire immediate help in the form of Ray Allen. On the other hand, those pieces turned the Celtics in to title contenders right away. Nobody thinks that an aging Rip Hamilton is going to push the Carmelo-Billups tandem (stuck in neutral in Denver) over the top.

Obviously the new billionare Russian owner and Jay Z want to make a splash moving to Brooklyn in a few years but I don't know if Rip is going to last that long and I'm also wondering when Billups will start to slow down. So then Carmelo will find himself in potentially an even worse position than he's in right now. The key would appear to be the Nets chances of landing another star like Chris Paul or Dwight Howard - which seems like a long shot right now.

I guess time will tell, and if you can go get a star like Anthony you should do it. But I'm not sure this does anything but bring the Nets in to the middle-ground of mediocrity.

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Im not too sure about this trade....

Chaunceu wants a buy out if he’s traded, wont play in New Jersey

Rip is now RIP, reminds me on vince carter, not much left in the tank

Troy Murphys contract is a big problem

I just don’t see Melo liking this trade unless there is a chaser trade or a plan in the offseason to aquire more talent or draft pics

by chuckslammin on Jan 10, 2011 9:01 AM EST reply actions

I read this once

and not gonna bother reading it again. Nets are always gonna be Nets, just like Manchester City is never going to be a big club, no matter of the investments in them.

Irresponsible I stand...

by LeoMoreno on Jan 10, 2011 9:15 AM EST reply actions

The Nuggets are now seemingly the Gold Flakes for awhile it seems to me.

Poor Chauncey ….tossed out of the Denver Gold pan and floats down a polluted stream into Jersey….yeah… I would want a buyout too.

Is it Soup Yet?

by Master Po on Jan 10, 2011 10:03 AM EST reply actions

I don't like anything that brings Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups into the Eastern Conference.

They’re not going to challenge as contenders, but they’re surely capable of beating you on any given night.

by no kidding on Jan 10, 2011 10:24 AM EST reply actions

But if this trade keeps Anthony from joining a _real_ contender

then I’m all for it.

I.E. – Anthony would be more problematic if he was to end up with say, Amare’ on the Knicks.

Anthony and Billups & junk would make the Nets better, but they’d be far, far from a contender and not a threat to the Celtics overall.

by mmmmm on Jan 10, 2011 3:04 PM EST up reply actions

+1

With the Knicks, this would be something serious to think/worry about. Thing is, it’s likely that Melo & Co. understand that too, which I would imagine tends to pull this deal AWAY from the Nets.

by DRJ1 on Jan 10, 2011 5:31 PM EST up reply actions

mello

at this point just wants a trade for the sake of being traded. “Hey, im a superstar too.” “wheres all MY media coverage” “guess i need to shake something up so people notice me” “quick, agent! to the trade mobile”.
This is a lousy trade from denvers perspective, unless mello would walk away at the end of his contract, and they lose him for nothng. even still, what they are getting back is around the nba equivalent of nothing. mediocre draft picks, and Harris/Favors/Scrubs isnt worth it. We really shook the NBA to its knees with the KG deal. now, superstars are getting moved left and right (look at that year alone, pau, kidd, all the aging superstars had to try and find other superstars to play with, or none of them would be able to hack it with us)

by MattyFree on Jan 10, 2011 10:28 AM EST reply actions

just wants a trade for the sake of being traded. "Hey, im a superstar too." "wheres all MY media coverage"

hahahahaha – well said.

by Brendan on Jan 10, 2011 11:10 AM EST up reply actions

Nets are a weird choice for Melo

I don’t get it. Melo can dictate the team he wants to play for because of his expiring contract and he chooses the Nets? The Nets are in the division of the Knicks and of the C’s, it will be so hard for them to climb up the NBA ladder in the next 2 years, I just don’t get it.

He could choose to wait the offseason and sign with NY. Or maybe if he does wait, he won’t be able to sign a contract under the current CBA? It’s often all about money in the end. Well, I guess “Wait & See” is in order here.

by lepooo on Jan 10, 2011 10:32 AM EST reply actions

I think the point has been, he doesnt want Jersey.

by Warrior Spirit on Jan 10, 2011 5:55 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

After 7 years in the League...

… I don’t understand the obsession with Melo. He can be a great scorer if he gets a lot of touches and has solid defense and rebounding around him, as well as vet leadership AND tough coaching. He’s had some of that in Denver and still couldn’t advance. Not sure if he’ll be anything other than a ‘volume shooter’.

by LuckyNumber07 on Jan 10, 2011 10:32 AM EST reply actions

+1

by MattyFree on Jan 10, 2011 10:34 AM EST up reply actions

I wanted Melo to stay in WC

This is bad for EC and good for WC. Lakers get free and clear path to finals and Boston has to go through some pretty real competition.

WC teams seem to blow up their own teams too early just when they are getting good.

by vgarcia890 on Jan 10, 2011 10:45 AM EST reply actions

essentially its a step back, why would melo agree to a sign and trade with jersey?

by greenbeand on Jan 10, 2011 11:09 AM EST reply actions

because they're moving to brooklyn

have a decent center and an owner who said he’s willing to spend. chris paul wants to play with melo too so if they land him next year or so it looks alot better

"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

im gonna be all up on you like a spider monkey!

i can just see delonte west winning a game of poker against lebron, throwing down the cards he yells, "who's your daddy!"...."oh, sorry man"

by remembering9ergods on Jan 10, 2011 12:19 PM EST up reply actions

plus he doesnt want to lose his 3 year $65m extension

"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

im gonna be all up on you like a spider monkey!

i can just see delonte west winning a game of poker against lebron, throwing down the cards he yells, "who's your daddy!"...."oh, sorry man"

by remembering9ergods on Jan 10, 2011 12:19 PM EST up reply actions

see billups not reporting until he is bought out and returning to denver for alot less money

this leaves the nets with only jordan farmer and anthony carter at PG but a decent upgrade at SG with hamilton and vujacic backing up.

sheldon williams gives them another rebounder to go with humphries

this season would be a lost season but they would still have three 1st round picks in this years draft and they’d have a star to attract other good players. you could do worse than a trio of lopez, melo and rip

"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

im gonna be all up on you like a spider monkey!

i can just see delonte west winning a game of poker against lebron, throwing down the cards he yells, "who's your daddy!"...."oh, sorry man"

by remembering9ergods on Jan 10, 2011 12:16 PM EST reply actions

Carmelo's dilemma is

that he wants to go the Knicks but the Knicks don’t have the assets that Denver wants back. New Jersey may but Anthony doesn’t really want to play there. One more but….Anthony and his people know that there is a time limit on all this because of the pending lockout and eventual new cba and payroll cap. He wants his big extension and knows he may not see that much money (on a per year basis) again if he waits another 8 – 10 months.

by celty86 on Jan 10, 2011 12:17 PM EST reply actions

denver

i fully expect denver to completely gut the rest of their team if this deal goes through.

devin harris, nene, jr smith, al harrington will all get shopped if they arent being shopped already

"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

im gonna be all up on you like a spider monkey!

i can just see delonte west winning a game of poker against lebron, throwing down the cards he yells, "who's your daddy!"...."oh, sorry man"

by remembering9ergods on Jan 10, 2011 12:25 PM EST reply actions

Denver's fire sale....

by celt4ever on Jan 10, 2011 2:20 PM EST reply actions

This is a smart trade IMO...

Billups/Hamilton/Melo/Hump/Lopez is a solid playoff team in the Eastern Conference. Billups and Hamilton’s deals are up within the next two years, so they provide a legitimate competitive window while still representing a salary cap windfall down the road.

This deal enables NJ to have the chance of resigning Anthony while establishing a winning environment over the short term and buys them time to work their options – this is sound business.

by BillfromBoston on Jan 10, 2011 2:26 PM EST reply actions