Right now, there is little truth around Carmelo Anthony, just negotiating tactics. For example, steps by Anthony’s reps to create the illusion of demand, to pressure parties into agreeing to a deal.
Carmelo Anthony’s representatives are pushing the Chicago Bulls to get back in the trade bidding for the Nuggets star, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo. He says the talks with the Nets are stalled and the Nuggets still have no interest in what the Knicks have to offer. No matter how many picks we are talking. So Anthony’s people turned to the Bulls.
The Bulls were one of the teams on Anthony’s list of franchises he would sign an extension with (which remains the question with the Nets). Chicago had some exploratory talks with Denver, suggesting a package centered around Luol Deng, with picks and other players (maybe Taj Gibson). The Nuggets came back and said Joakim Noah had to be part of the deal. The Bulls rightly hung up the phone and that was that.
With how well the Bulls have played — 28-14, currently the third seed in the East — without yet having their full team together for a serious stretch, it’s safe to say the Bulls offer has not changed. They like where they are at. Besides, Anthony’s strength is as a shot creator, but the Bulls already have one of the best for that in Derrick Rose. Bringing in Anthony just takes the ball out of Rose’s hands more.
Put simply, Chicago is not giving up Noah. It’s hard to see how a Deng offer is better than what the Nets have on the table, or really how it is better than the Knicks offer the Nuggets disdain.
But ‘Melo’s agents know another team in the mix would create some pressure on the Nets and Nuggets to get it figured out, so they are trying. Hard to blame them. We all want this ‘Melo saga to end. Hopefully the arrival of Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov in the United States Wednesday will provide the impetus to end the talks, one way or the other.
