Trying to Sort Out the Melo Madness

By Alex Ortiz on July 7, 2014
Carmelo Anthony - ©KeithAllison via Flickr

Carmelo Anthony – ©KeithAllison via Flickr

Carmelo Anthony is a free agent and the circulation of wild speculation has taken on a life of its own. Ten different people will have ten different opinions so you can interpret this however you want.

How all of this has unfolded is amazing already. First, he’s certainly going to leave New York, for he could win a title with a team like Houston or Chicago. Then he’ll join the Big Three in Miami. Then it is really likely he’ll just go back with the Knicks. Now the Lakers are the only other team outside of the Bulls to worry Phil Jackson.

Wow. At this rate, Brazil will be in contention to sign Melo to the max contract to replace Neymar.

First we have to admit a few things. We obviously cannot truly determine how much the main factors actually matter in the equation. We also cannot accurately account for how much his personal situation will influence the decision.

Beyond that we can definitely determine on the court which options are best for Carmelo, if you take into account which teams he can win with.

It’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that on the court the Knicks are a pedestrian option. Still, the familiarity, him being already settled into the team and Phil Jackson now at the helm of the organization are all reasons to resign with New York – not to mention that five-year, 129 million dollar offer on the table from the team.

My question is, why is money that big of a deal to Carmelo? Or is it really that simple?

Yes you get to play in the eastern conference. Yes you are the cornerstone of the franchise in New York, but if you, or anyone for that matter, really want to win, New York is not the place to do that, maybe in a few years, but not now.

Houston and Chicago are the best places to win right now because Anthony is in his prime.

The Rockets will have to do some work to make room for Melo. So might it be as attractive of an offer without a key figure sacrificed for Anthony’s big contract? Plus, playing in the West does not make winning easy.

The Bulls would not have to do as much to make room, but there’s still work to do. Carlos Boozer would be a likely loss and Bulls fans would be happy with that either way. The key player may be Taj Gibson if Chicago would do a sign and trade or just needed to make more room. It seems another necessary sacrifice because there are other pieces and Anthony, Rose and Noah would be a formidable core.

Now we hear that the Lakers are the second, most likely landing place for Anthony, but he cannot have the max contract with Kobe Bryant’s two-year deal if he wants more pieces around him. Pau Gasol would need to come back for a good deal less money. It seems like a stretch but it is enough to worry the Knicks.

Regardless of what happens, a number of fans and teams will be disappointed. Hopefully this ends up in an exciting fashion at the very least. Will we remember Anthony as the man who made a move to win it all, or does he just care about the team that will show him the money?

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