Monday, February 21, 2011

Knicks Acquire Carmelo Anthony in Blockbuster Deal

League sources are reporting that the New York Knicks have acquired superstar Carmelo Anthony in a three-team trade. Along with Anthony, the Knicks will get Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter, and Renaldo Balkman from Denver as well as Corey Brewer from Minnesota. The Nuggets will receive Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, and Timofey Mozgov along with picks and cash. The Timberwolves will receive Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry.

The Breakdown

New York Knicks: The Knicks finally get their man in Melo. Anthony should step in and produce just as he had in Denver. This deal shouldn't change his fantasy value much since he's moving from one fast paced team to another. Billups should also see little change in his fantasy value.

The main beneficiary in New York may be Ronny Turiaf, who becomes the team's only legitimate center. We would grab him as a speculative pick up since he can be a fierce shot blocker if given ample playing time. Although Corey Brewer should make his way into the rotation, most of the other players the Knicks acquired should have minimal value.

Denver Nuggets: Denver got some great young pieces and this move could really boost the fantasy values of Chandler and Gallinari. With Melo in New York, someone will have to emerge as the team's go-to scorer. We would not be surprised if Chandler, Gallinari, or Felton stepped up their scoring without a superstar around taking so many shots. There are also rumors swirling that the Nuggets are not done dealing, so we'll likely have to wait until the dust settles after the trade deadline before we have a good idea of what to expect from the Nuggets.

Minnesota Timberwolves: The Timberwolves have long coveted Anthony Randolph and we expect him to make his way into the rotation. It's anyone's guess whether he produces, though. Deeper leagues may want to take a flyer on him.

Additionally, moving Brewer clears up the logjam at the wing positions, giving more playing time to rookie Wesley Johnson and Martell Webster. Webster appears to be the stronger addition in standard formats while Johnson is worth looking at in deep leagues. Eddy Curry doesn't figure to see any playing time as he was solely acquired for his expiring contract.

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