Such is the 2010–11 Knicks season that, even on a day the Knicks notched an important win against a team chasing them in the Eastern Conference standings, another Carmelo Anthony report stole some attention. So first: about the win. The Knicks avoided a disastrous weekend by splitting their home-and-home with Philadelphia: They’d lost on Friday night in Philly and won yesterday afternoon at the Garden, 117–103. Amar’e Stoudemire turned in a big game, scoring 41 points to match his season high, and Landry Fields poured in a career high 25 points of his own. The Knicks entered the weekend three games ahead of the seventh-place Sixers, and that’s where they finished it.
So that’s what the Knicks’ players are up to. Donnie Walsh, meanwhile, appears to be making some progress on the Carmelo Anthony front. Here’s the latest potential trade being discussed, as reported by Chris Broussard:
In the proposed trade, New York would send Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry to Minnesota and the Timberwolves would send Corey Brewer and a first-round pick to Denver. Denver would also receive Wilson Chandler from New York.
One imagines that Walsh would make this trade in a heartbeat: He’d be trading away just one player who gets any real minutes — until now, it was thought the Knicks would have to part with two players from among Chandler, Fields, and Danilo Gallinari — and he wouldn’t be forced to take on any unwanted contracts. The problem, of course, is that Minnesota doesn’t get very much in return, and, unsurprisingly, Broussard reports that they wouldn’t approve the deal as it currently stands.
Still, as the trade deadline draws closer — and as it becomes more apparent that Anthony would only sign an extension with the Knicks — the Nuggets are sure to grow more desperate. And Chandler, Brewer, and a first round pick is better than nothing, which is what they’d receive if Carmelo walked after the season. Even Walsh is now admitting, sort of, that things are starting to take shape, even if it’ll likely take more pieces than the ones in the above proposal to finalize the trade. Via the Post:
In the proposed trade, New York would send Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry to Minnesota and the Timberwolves would send Corey Brewer and a first-round pick to Denver. Denver would also receive Wilson Chandler from New York.
Walsh, we trust, knows what he’s doing. Though this, from the ESPN report, is a bit troubling:
In the proposed trade, New York would send Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry to Minnesota and the Timberwolves would send Corey Brewer and a first-round pick to Denver. Denver would also receive Wilson Chandler from New York.
There’s nothing wrong with Dolan wanting a trade for Anthony; plenty of Knicks fans would like him on board for a potential playoff run, too. One just hopes that Dolan — who, we’ll remind you, has not extended Walsh’s contract for next year — understands that the Knicks are in the stronger position here and shouldn’t be forced into giving up too much.
Sources: Three-team deal discussed [ESPN New York]
Walsh says Knicks ‘getting a feeling’ for Carmelo trade [NYP]