Very telling quotes from Melo
http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archi..._money_will_be_there_i_care_about_basketball/
"Money is money. Money's going to be there," Anthony told the media. "It's about basketball."
"It's a big risk," Anthony said about the new CBA. "At the end of the day, it's about basketball." "It?s scary," he said. "Of course, it's scary. There's a lot of anxiety to see what's going to happen."
More and more it seems like he is willing to wait it out in Denver this year and come to NY this summer with a team that features depth instead of trading that depth for Melo.
Carmelo can see the writing on the wall, and he understands the PROs & CONs here.
Sure, it would be fantastic to come to NYC and play at MSG this season; start getting in rhythm with STAT and get his money. In a perfect world, this is exactly what would be happening right now.
But Melo also sees what's going on in MIA, ORL, MIl & CHI. He realizes STAT-MELO makes the Knicks legitimate title contenders in the East.... and with the Lakers aging and OKC still young.... Well, he knows what his presence will mean for NY.
HOWEVER, if you have Gallo, Randolph, Douglas, Chandler, Mozgov, Turiaf and such surrounding STAT-MELO, along with Felton.... Well, now you probably pass the rest of the teams and are now an elite team.
How do you defend this team in the 4th?
Felton-Stat run pick and roll, with Melo on the wing, Gallo waiting to drain a 3 and Randolph roaming baseline? WOAH!
How do you contend with Randolph-Mozgov, Turiaf, STAT and Melo down in the paint? This is like what the Lakers have now.
SO, Melo has come to peace with the reality that he'll get his money somehow next summer. IT JUST MAKES BASKETBALL SENSE to keep NYK intact. AFTER ALL, if he knows this is his future home (for the 2011-2017 seasons) then he wants the BEST team possible. He had a "good" team in DENVER. Why sabotage his future team by demanding to get there 10 months early?