10 Thoughts About Knicks/Nets Trades

Wow. Wow. Wow. Let me be the first to say, that this might be the most remarkable blockbuster trades dealt at one time in recent history. Teams cementing themselves for championship contention for this year and years to come. Others basing their futures on promising young players, future draft picks and cash options. This is why I love the NBA. Even after the big trades that happened in December involving the Magic, I knew it was possible for those trades to be topped. And well, everything has lived up to the hype. Just in case you been living under a rock for the past 48 hours let me give you a quick breakdown:

Knicks acquire:

F Carmelo Anthony
G Chauncey Billups
G Anthpny Carter
F Renaldo Balkman
F/C Sheldon Williams

Nuggets acquire:

G Raymond Felton
F Danilo Gallinari
F Wilson Chandler
C Timofey Mozgov
2 Second-round Picks in 2012 & 2013 from Warriors

In another deal..

Nets acquire:

G Deron Williams

Jazz acquire:

G Devin Harris
F Derrick Favors
2 First-round draft picks & cash

Ok, now that you’re up-to-date soak it in… Ah, feel that? Yep. Wow. Exact same feeling as me. Well, here are 10 thoughts, questions and comments when looking back at this trade:

1. Finally the Carmelo saga ends!
For seven months we have been hearing about this and finally, the deal is done. Carmelo Anthony is a Knick, Spike Lee can rest while sleeping and LaLa Vasquez can finally do lunch dates with Kim Kardashian. All is well on the ‘Melo side of things. Amar’e is smiling and so is the Knickerbocker faithful.

2. Point guard state of mind.
You would think being a top 5 free agent pick up, All-Star snub and solidify yourself as a top 10 point guard in the league would make you untradeable. Well ask Raymond Felton and that is not the case. Felton did everything right. Led D’Antoni’s system fairly well and gets hoisted out of his job within a year. That has to suck. As for Chauncey Billups, he’s been around the block a few times so he knows the drill. In this case its slightly different for the fact that Chauncey had aspirations of moving into the Nuggets’ front office once retired. Hopefully that deal is still on the table and Chauncey gets what he has earned.

3. Denver, CO — Home of the Most Average Basketball Mediocre Team in America
After this trade you can pretty much say that the Denver Nuggets were looking to get assets. Now that I look at the team, I see solid role players and tough competition everywhere. You have solid point guards in Lawson and Felton. Good perimeter players in Smith, Chandler & Danilo. Also, a good core of NBA big men with Martin, Mozgov & NeNe. Let’s not forget Birdman and Afflalo as well. The team has pretty much everything you need but A STAR! With 12 seconds left in the game who do you give it to? Who knows! Who do you build around? Who knows! Lots of questions, even more assets.

4. The Knicks are still the SIXTH best team in the East:
Anyways, Celtics and Heat are the top dogs, period. Magic and Hawks have always been tough competition, because they are deep and have solid teams with perennial All-Stars. The new team in the mix are the Bulls. Chicago has a leader (Rose), interior defense (Noah) and a post presence (Boozer) to know their key to success. As for New York, they have an explosive offense and that’s about it. Lacking defense and chemistry it will be tough to see this team move up the East ladder, this year. If enough moves are made in the near future you might be calling them top dogs sooner than later. Sidenote: The East is back. Might even be better than the mid-90’s days.

5. Mikhail Prokhorov is a mastermind:
Yes, we know the Nets GM is Billy King and all respect to King, but this deal has Prokhorov has him written all over it. Prokhorov wanted a star and got one. He forced the Knicks to overpay for Melo and shook it off. Less than 24 hours later he has himself another gold medal winning All-Star. Amazing. I wouldn’t play poker against that guy.

6. Nets are aiming for Dwight Howard:
Say what you want, but Dwight Howard will be leaving Orlando. Even after the blockbuster trades Otis Smith pulled off, it wasn’t enough. Dwight knows he can’t win a championship in Orlando. Therefore, he is out once his contract is up in the summer of 2012. History says he goes to Los Angeles. Kareem did it. Wilt did it. Shaq did it. It’s just what great centers do to cement their legacy. However, if Prokhorov can work his magic, Dwight might be moving to Brooklyn. Sidenote: Dwight if you do leave the Magic, let down Orlando easy. Try not to be like that South Beach guy.

7. What are the Jazz thinking?:
First you fire your esteemed, soon-to-be Hall of Fame coach. Next you trade away your star player? I don’t get it. Either this team is expecting to move to Kansas City in the next year or Sloan is on the nearest bus back to Salt Lake City. They are purposely trying to downgrade their team? I guess they are putting all chips on for Kyrie Irving this summer. But then again, everyone pretty much assumed that Deron wasn’t going to be returning, so Jazz management did like the Nuggets and “cashed out.”

8. Deron Williams is hurt more than you know it:
Deron is now a New Jersey Net, as a result he will have to leave his Utah home and foundation. Deron was shocked by the whole ordeal. This past afternoon on Twitter his assistant and head coordinator of his foundation, Point of Hope, Matt Mitnick claimed how he was sick from the trade.

9. New York basketball has returned.
The Mecca. A Basketball player’s Jerusalem. It’s New York. MSG will be rocking like good ol times again. People might mistake Amar’e for Patrick. Maybe Melo for Bernard King. Chauncey as Clyde Frazier? Who knows! Knicks fans deserve it and the 2000’s were too hurtful to them. I expect great things from them in the near future and so does Magic. Did I mention how Spike called this trade? Ha.

10. Comparing trades, who got the better deal?:
No question about it, the Nets! If the Knicks weren’t so involved in the Melo drama, they might have snagged D. Will from the Jazz. Williams would’ve had a better connection with Amar’e, but the Knicks were too deep involved with Melo. The overpaying they did for Anthony had an Isiah Thomas feel to it. You know the same guy who gave millions to an overweight Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph. Hopefully, both teams turn for the good and soon. I don’t know if I can hear another whining Knick fan in my ear for the next five years.

What do you guys think?

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