NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Four-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony will join the New York Knicks in a nine-player deal with the Denver Nuggets, the NBA’s website reported yesterday. “He wanted to be in New York and we worked with him and his people,” a Nuggets team source was quoted on NBA.com.
“We worked it out. It’s a win-win. You never get fair value for a player like that, but we have to move on as an organization. “I don’t think the fans have gotten the true Nuggets this season” with the constant distractions.
There has been speculation about Anthony’s future throughout the season with the Knicks well understood to be his preferred destination. The 26-year-old, Brooklyn-born Anthony will team up with fellow All-Star Amar’e Stoudemire in what is the latest concentration of power in the NBA.
Along with Anthony, guards Chauncey Billups and Anthony Carter, center Shelden Williams and forward Renaldo Balkman will go to New York. Heading in the opposite direction, according to the report, will be guard Raymond Felton, forwards Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler and Russian center Timofey Mozgov.
On top of those players, Denver will also get the Knicks’ first-round pick in 2014 and second-round picks in 2012 and 2013 plus $3 million in cash.
Neither the Knicks nor the Nuggets officially confirmed the trade but Nuggets coach George Karl told the Denver Post, “I’m glad it’s over.”
“I’m glad it’s an opportunity to reinvent,” he told the newspaper. “I think everybody handled it as classy as you could handle it. There’s some sadness to it, there always will be.”
