Two HUGE rumors swirling around the NBA circle today involving our own Carmelo Anthony, and they're coming from opposite ends of the trade spectrum.
First off, is it finally time for Melo's departure? HoopsWorld (a source I know many of you don't take seriously, but they're only reporting it as a rumor, not news) is reporting that the Nuggets might be closing in on a deal to send Melo out of Denver, and to a team most of you (including me) did not see coming: the Charlotte Bobcats. No real solid news has come back on who Denver would get in return, but HoopsWorld is speculating that the two most logical pieces would be Gerald Wallace and Boris Diaw.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=18161
Personally, I would be ecstatic if we could bring a player of Wallace's caliber back to Denver. He's shown to be a well-rounded player, still relatively young at 28 years old, and his contract isn't all that bad, considering the production he could bring to the table. He's on par, in my opinion, with Andre Iguodala in terms of the pure skill and talent that Denver would receive in exchange for Melo.
Diaw would be a bonus as well. A 28-year-old, 6'8" Power Forward who's averaging 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game, Diaw could help to shore up our front line and produce at a high level as well. His contract is slightly high as well, but at only 2 years, 18 million, I'd be willing to overlook it.
On the other side of the rumor mill, Ken Berger of cbssports.com is reporting that Melo's saying he'll think about signing the extension.
"I met with them last week and I told them I’d think about it," Melo said. "Which is more than I’ve said. We’ll see. We’ve been having a lot of great conversations."
Unfortunately, Matt Moore of cbssports.com also points out that this is VERY similar to what LeBron told Cleveland just a year ago. Also unfortunately, I'm inclined to agree. While I feel it's still a little too early come to any solid conclusions, I'm sure all of us here at Denver Stiffs has some ideas. ;)
Berger: http://ken-berger.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/11838893/26364574
Moore: http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22748484/26365790
