According to ESPN.com, Carmelo Anthony is very likely to leave the Nuggets.

[nba is the worst]

I agree with Mike-Dub - if he signs the extension, make him honor it unless a deal comes that benefits the team.

If he tanks, it's his career that suffers!

[DKClassic]

I've decided to take my talents... to New York.

[JBcat]

I'm thinking it could be Tony Parker (not Chris Paul), Melo, and Amare ending up in New York.     

[Snakehead]

I'm thinking it could be Tony Parker (not Chris Paul), Melo, and Amare ending up in New York.     

This would leave them room to get more talent around them.  I think Chris Paul is much better, but they could have to give up a lot to make room or acquire all three.  Miami assembled a roster with their three stars but did it in one Free Agency that happened to have it all lined up.  They did a good job but it was a rare situation.  New York will have a tough time doing that... unless they could lure enough guys to NY.

But Paul/Melo/Amare in the D'Antoni offense?  You saw how good Paul made Tyson Chandler look one year?  Imagine that with a far superior finishing in Amare.  Melo would be putting up a ton of shots.  I think Randolph could be like a bigger and taller version of Shawn Marion for the old Suns.  And Galinnari could be Dirk like, he has the potential.  I like Wilson Chandler.

They would probably have to lose a lot of that young talent to get those guys though.

It's not like Parker would be bad, he's playoff proven too.  And you could keep a lot of those guys, maybe bring in another good piece.  I like that team too, more balanced probably.

[Q_FBE]

If Melo wants to leave Danver, then he should just not sign a contract extension with him. Then Denver should ship him off to Detriot for Teyshaun Prince and Ben Gordon before the season starts.

[Who]

This is all Denver front office's fault. You could see this happening from the minute they acquired Chauncey Billups.

Building an old highly expensive team that isn't good enough to compete for a title + will need to be blown up and enter a rebuilding process within 3 years + while in your superstar's prime is mind numbingly stupid.

From the minute they made that trade this was the most likely result.

[winsomme]

Roy is right this is getting ridiculous.  You honor the contract you signed and stay with the team or you depart when you are a free-agent.  You DON'T sign and an extention and then demand a trade.  If he does that the Nuggets should not trade him or trade him to the Raptors etc.  for the rest of his contract if he is unhappy. See how that will make him feel.  

How unhappy is he going to really be making that kind of money.....What you are suggesting is a "cut off your nose to spite your face" type scenario for DEN. The real loser in that situation is the Nuggets IMO and that's why players like Melo and CP have leverage. They know no team wants to pay big money to a disgruntled mega-star....

Like I said to Roy, I don't really like it either, but this is really just a manifestation of a very greedy society. and it's built into our system where greed is rewarded. Unfortunately, the people who are the greediest are usually the ones who do the best financially. Fairness and moderation are not rewarded financially.

And efforts to put fairness and moderation and protections into the system are met with a lot of resistance from all sides. Just look at the tenor of the debate about the new Financial Reform Bill....

[Snakehead]

This is all Denver front office's fault. You could see this happening from the minute they acquired Chauncey Billups.

Building an old highly expensive team that isn't good enough to compete for a title + will need to be blown up and enter a rebuilding process within 3 years + while in your superstar's prime is mind numbingly stupid.

From the minute they made that trade this was the most likely result.

You make a good point mostly, but this Denver team was within a few plays of winning the Western Conference Finals a couple years ago.  I remember two bonehead plays at the end of a game to cost them it, both by Anthony Carter if I remember correctly (I vividly remember the terrible inbounds pass that was easily stolen by Trevor Ariza).

Anyways, they were really close then.  It had the potential to be a great team, but they couldn't remain at the highest level.  It wasn't smart long term but in the short term they were contending in their defense.  They almost beat the eventual NBA Champion that year.

[Mike-Dub]

This is all Denver front office's fault. You could see this happening from the minute they acquired Chauncey Billups.

Building an old highly expensive team that isn't good enough to compete for a title + will need to be blown up and enter a rebuilding process within 3 years + while in your superstar's prime is mind numbingly stupid.

From the minute they made that trade this was the most likely result.

Wait so you're saying they would have been better off keeping Iverson.  Give me a break. 

[Who]

This is all Denver front office's fault. You could see this happening from the minute they acquired Chauncey Billups.

Building an old highly expensive team that isn't good enough to compete for a title + will need to be blown up and enter a rebuilding process within 3 years + while in your superstar's prime is mind numbingly stupid.

From the minute they made that trade this was the most likely result.

Wait so you're saying they would have been better off keeping Iverson.  Give me a break. 

The Nuggets would have been better off rebuilding their franchise when Carmelo Anthony was 23 and under contract for several seasons rather than when he was 27 and about to enter free agency.

[Fafnir]

This is all Denver front office's fault. You could see this happening from the minute they acquired Chauncey Billups.

Building an old highly expensive team that isn't good enough to compete for a title + will need to be blown up and enter a rebuilding process within 3 years + while in your superstar's prime is mind numbingly stupid.

From the minute they made that trade this was the most likely result.

Wait so you're saying they would have been better off keeping Iverson.  Give me a break. 

The Nuggets would have been better off rebuilding their franchise when Carmelo Anthony was 23 and under contract for several seasons rather than when he was 27 and about to enter free agency.

Iverson going to be off the books soon.

[Snakehead]

This is all Denver front office's fault. You could see this happening from the minute they acquired Chauncey Billups.

Building an old highly expensive team that isn't good enough to compete for a title + will need to be blown up and enter a rebuilding process within 3 years + while in your superstar's prime is mind numbingly stupid.

From the minute they made that trade this was the most likely result.

Wait so you're saying they would have been better off keeping Iverson.  Give me a break. 

The Nuggets would have been better off rebuilding their franchise when Carmelo Anthony was 23 and under contract for several seasons rather than when he was 27 and about to enter free agency.

Although I did like the Chancey trade and again the Nuggets were close to getting to the Finals, Who is right here long term.  Iverson could of left or been traded for younger pieces or draft picks. If Melo leaves Denver, you have to look at the Nuggets and Cavs as two teams that tried to win quick with their young superstars by putting old talent around them and think that is really not a good way to go.  

And I think the Thunder will prove that the opposite (being bad for a few years but stockpiling young talent that can grow together and draft picks) is a better move.  I think OKC will be a dynasty soon with that tactic, and if Denver and Cleveland had taken more of that approach they would of been more successful long term.

[Mike-Dub]

This is all Denver front office's fault. You could see this happening from the minute they acquired Chauncey Billups.

Building an old highly expensive team that isn't good enough to compete for a title + will need to be blown up and enter a rebuilding process within 3 years + while in your superstar's prime is mind numbingly stupid.

From the minute they made that trade this was the most likely result.

Wait so you're saying they would have been better off keeping Iverson.  Give me a break. 

The Nuggets would have been better off rebuilding their franchise when Carmelo Anthony was 23 and under contract for several seasons rather than when he was 27 and about to enter free agency.

That is very true.  They never should have gotten AI in the first place.  They should have made a better deal for Carmelo.  The Billups deal IMO was a good one, but too late.  Even though I think they would have been as good last year as they were in '09 without injuries, but injuries happen, and of course George Karl's cancer, get better George!

[MBunge]

I hope there are no Celtics fans getting even an inkling of an iota of a shred of hope about Melo coming to Boston. If he bolts Denver as a free agent, he's going to the Knicks, where he, Chris Paul and Amare Stoudemire hope to form another "super friends" team.

If Denver decides they have to trade 'Melo, I don't know why Boston wouldn't be a possible destination.  A Pierce/Davis/Bradley+picks deal for Melo and Renaldo Balkman would work.  Kenyon Martin has only one year left and Chauncey has one year and a team option, so even if Denver took on Pierce's deal they could still get under the cap to rebuild after this coming season.

And Boston is about the only team that might consider trading for Melo without signing him to a contract extension first.  The Celtics would only shrink their title-contending window from 2 years to 1 year if Melo walked after next season anyway.

I'm not saying Boston would be on the top of the list, but they might have a shot.

Mike 

[LooseCannon]

They didn't trade Amare and he left without getting anything.

Well, technically, they did a S&T and got back a big trade exception and a conditional second round pick.  They have used that exception (or most of it) for a net result of sending out Amare Stoudemire and two second-round picks for Josh Childress, Hakim Warrick, and a conditional second round pick that they are unlikely to receive.  Would the Suns have been better off if they had been able to make the rumored proposed deal of Stoudemire to Cleveland for JJ Hickson and the expiring contract of Z Ilgauskus (who would have been bought out)?