When I first started to hear rumblings about the Nuggets’ willingness to part ways with Carmelo, my initial reaction was:
Nawwwwwwwwwwww
But after doing some digging, there are quite a few people that believe Melo will opt out of his contract next year because he wants some of that LeBron attention during the 2011 Free Agency period. He would be the marquee guy in 2011 for any of the teams they don’t end up with LeBron or Wade.
This may force the Nuggets’ hand, because they don’t want to lose Melo for nothing. Here are the particulars, broken down by USA Today:
The Denver Post says the Nuggets may be forced to begrudgingly make Carmelo Anthony available for trade, if he declines to sign the three-year, $65 million contract extension they’re offering.
At a salary of $17 million, Anthony is committed to play for Denver during the upcoming season. But here’s the rub. Anthony can opt out of his contract next summer, and free agency might appear all the more tempting after seeing the league-wide groveling James has instigated.
As a proactive move, the Nuggets have quietly tried to secure the services of Anthony through 2015 before losers in the pursuit of this talent-laden class of free agents can begin dreaming of Melo.
If you are Melo, the pro of signing the extension is the guaranteed 65 million dollars before the new collective bargaining agreement lowers salaries. In three years Melo will still be able to command another huge contract.
The flipside is if he isn’t happy in Denver, no need to overstay his welcome. In the immortal words of KG, “Get the hell out.”
I have another theory as well.
Melo has to be in serious debt after paying for his fiancee’ Lala’s ass injections, so that might swing things in favor of him signing the extension with Nuggets.
