GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — The New York Knicks were searching for a second superstar when Carmelo Anthony became available.
The price was high, but they're certain he's worth
it.
"When you go out hunting, would you rather
have a bigger gun or a little gun?" coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We got
a bigger gun."
The Knicks agreed to a trade with the Denver
Nuggets for Anthony on Monday night, a person with knowledge of the deal told
The Associated Press. The teams were awaiting the completion of a conference
call with the NBA on Tuesday before the deal, which also includes the Minnesota
Timberwolves, could become official.
Anthony will join fellow All-Star Amare Stoudemire
in the frontcourt, giving the Knicks the potent duo they hoped they could
assemble last summer in free agency. Instead, they had to give up much of their
core, but in return they get one of the NBA's top scorers.
"We liked the way our team played this year
and I looked at it and I thought we had one piece that was at the high level of
the league. We always wanted two pieces at least," team president Donnie
Walsh said.
Stoudemire has led the Knicks to a 28-26 record
this season, but said Tuesday they will be even more dangerous with Anthony
bringing his 25.2 points per game to join his 26.1 average.
"Every team needs a 1, 1A punch,"
Stoudemire said. "And so with the ways that we both can score .... we're
very versatile, so it's hard to guard us."
Stoudemire said he had "no doubt" the
All-Star forwards and longtime friends could play together, and said Anthony
would handle the move to New York as well as he has.
"It's what he wants. It's what I wanted, to
come to New York and play on the big stage," Stoudemire said. "He has
the same type of swag. This is what he wants and he can handle it. We're going
to do it together."
The Knicks haven't made the playoffs since 2004,
but are in sixth place in the Eastern Conference in their first season since
acquiring Stoudemire from Phoenix last summer. He thinks the blockbuster deal
could make them better equipped to face teams such as Boston or Miami, which
already have multiple All-Stars, in the postseason.
"It's not easy and it's not going to get any
easier for us now because the target is on our back," Stoudemire said.
"Teams are going to be eager to play against us."
The Knicks also would acquire Chauncey Billups,
Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter and Renaldo Balkman in the deal that was first
reported by the Denver Post. They are playing a heavy price, trading Wilson
Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov and a 2014
first-round draft pick to the Nuggets, who would get additional picks and cash.
But the Knicks felt they had to make the move after
failing last summer to land two superstars through free agency.
The completion of the deal is delayed while Anthony
first signs a three-year, $65 million contract extension with the Nuggets
before the trade conference call can be held.
It was Anthony's refusal to take the extension when
the Nuggets offered it to him last summer that forced them to explore trading
their leading scorer. The Knicks hoped they could sign him next summer in free
agency, but felt they couldn't wait because Anthony wanted the extension this
season, before a new collective bargaining agreement next summer could severely
restrict salaries, and that could have forced him to lock in long term with
whatever team Denver traded him to.
So the Knicks agreed to trade four of their top six
players, realizing there were few chances to add a player of Anthony's caliber
to one like Stoudemire.
The Knicks hope Anthony will be able to play
Wednesday when they host Milwaukee. He is expected to arrive in New York to
take his physical late Tuesday or Wednesday morning.
New York's once-passionate fan base was turned off
by the team's poor play on the court and embarrassing press off it for most of
the decade under Isiah Thomas' reign. But in the third season under Walsh and
D'Antoni, the buzz has come back, and it's only going to get louder once Anthony
takes the court.
"New York City was on fire even before this
trade happened with Carmelo, thanks to (the traded players) and I think with
the help of Carmelo and Chauncey and the rest of the guys, we have a great shot
at it," Stoudemire said.
Though Anthony was the focus, the Knicks are
excited about the acquisition of Billups, a former NBA finals MVP and All-Star
who remains one of the league's top point guards and will orchestrate
D'Antoni's pick-and-roll offense.
The Anthony trade saga lasted all season and often
overshadowed the Knicks' improved play. During a chaotic final week, the
Nuggets entertained offers from the Knicks and New Jersey Nets, with both
owners meeting with Anthony during the All-Star weekend in Los Angeles.
Walsh repeated the Knicks' previous denials that
Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan — with advice from Thomas — had
taken the Anthony pursuit out of his hands and paid more than Walsh would have.
"I'm the one who knows basketball, so my job
is to advise him, 'This is good for your franchise,' and I did that,"
Walsh said.
The Knicks are probably too far back to make a move
in the standings over the final portion of the regular season. But they believe
they have enough time to fit in the new players and be a threat if they finally
get back to the playoffs.
"It'll be up to the players and I'm sure
Carmelo wants to come in and win. He didn't come here just to go to Broadway,
he wants to win," D'Antoni said. "Amare I know wants to win, I talked
to him. I know Chauncey wants to win, so let's sit down and figure it out. And
there's a lot of talent there to figure it out."
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
(AP Photo/Amy Sancetta, File)
