A Thread for Carmelo Anthony Trade Rumor Madness: 2/20/11

Good afternoon, otters. The sun has risen once more, which means we get another day of rumor-mongering. 

11:30- Movin' this back on up to the top. New thread to come tomorrow morning/early afternoon.

11:12- Hahn again:

Re: Carmelo going to Nets if Knicks don't include Mozgov, Carmelo still would have to sign off on extension. Sources still say he won't.

Update (10:10): Alan Hahn:

Source says if Knicks decline to include Mozgov in the package, Anthony will be traded to the Nets.

I kind of think that source is wrong, but that's just me.

Update (6:49): While the Knicks debate whether or not to include Timofey Mozgov (my opinion: Don't!), check out Mikhail Prokhorov openly admitting to driving the price up on the Knicks! That son of a gun! Also, keep an eye on Ken Berger's Twitter for the ins and outs of whatever picks and small assets that might change teams.

Update (3:43): Here's the full Beck article on the Isiah stuff, and here's Ken Berger's version of the Knicks' "final offer" for Melo.

The Knicks would send three starters -- Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, and Raymond Felton -- to Denver for Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams and Anthony Carter, sources said Sunday. The Nuggets would get a first-round pick from the Timberwolves, who would get Eddy Curry's expiring contract and Anthony Randolph from New York. Curry would then be waived, and the Knicks presumably would send $3 million to Minnesota to pay his freight.

Hey, Anthony Carter! That's a point guard! So the Knicks DO fill an immediate need with this deal! Also, as much as I've always despised Shelden Williams, the man can really rebound.

Today's report comes from Adrian Wojnarowski, the internet's foremost peddler of drama. According to Wojnarowski and his sources, we have a conspiracy on our hands:

The thin veil of secrecy has torn away now, the pretenses gone and Isiah Thomas has left the shadows and moved into the light again. Once more, he is the New York Knicks’ top basketball executive.

Thomas is driving everything through owner James Dolan – the trade for Carmelo Anthony(notes), the departure of Donnie Walsh and perhaps even the eventual hiring of the New York Knicks’ next president and general manager, multiple league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

"Isiah is calling the shots for New York," said one front-office executive with knowledge of the Anthony trade talks. "It’s a disgrace. Donnie should walk."

Spooky. The Knicks, interestingly enough, released a statement in response to the report. Howard Beck twat it in several parts:

"We want to make it abundantly clear that we have been in constant communication throughout this process and the three of us are in complete agreement with everything that we are currently working on. Together, we will do what is best for the long-term success of the franchise. we want to make it clear that no one from outside our organization has been involved in this process in any way."

So, we're being lied to. Either Wojnarowski and his sources are blowing things way out of proportion or the Knicks are denying some sort of rift between ownership and management. Most likely, it's a little bit of both. We know Dolan likes Isiah, and we have reason to believe that's troublesome for a guy like Walsh. It'd be foolish to dismiss Isiah's influence, but I'm also not ready to gobble up Woj's tales of a vicious power struggle. As always, I see no reason to get too excited about a thing any of these folks say until something actually happens. I really can't wait until something-- anything-- happens. I just want to be able to feel again. And watch basketball again.

Oh, and how about that thing that's supposed to happen? Here's Alan Hahn saying the Knicks have set their limit (I can't find the mobile link right now, but I'll update it when I do):

"We're not going any further now," the source said. "It's out of our hands."

The Knicks have an offer on the table that includes Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari and Raymond Felton going to Denver along with a first-round pick from the Minnesota Timberwolves, for Anthony, guard Chauncey Billups and at least one other reserve player, plus $3 million in cash considerations. The deal the Knicks have in place will save the Nuggets as much as $6 million in luxury tax this season.

And just for funsies:

"Isiah is not undermining Donnie," said an NBA source with no connection to the Knicks or the Garden, but direct knowledge of the situation.

"It's not an issue," a source close to Walsh agreed.

Oh, and I'm just going to pretend this Deron Williams hubbub didn't even happen.

So, yeah. Instead of just being kept in the dark, we're being pointed in eight different directions. I'm not enjoying it one bit, and I'm sure the half dozen Knicks (and Nuggets, and Nets) whose names are being punted back and forth everyday aren't having a very restful All-Star break either. Keep your heads, everybody. This too shall pass.

Incidentally, if you're a masochist and would like better coverage of this nonsense, check out SBN NY.

I'll update this thread if need be.