Ryan Ward is a passionate and opinionated sports writer that has dedicated himself to his craft over the past five years writing about all the sports he loves from the US and overseas, from International soccer to NFL football, but with an especially passionate interest in NBA basketball and the Los Angeles Lakers.___________________________________
The MELO-drama continues
Ever since All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony declined to sign the three-year $65 million dollar contract extension with the Denver Nuggets, the trade rumors surrounding the superstar have been circulating around the entire league. Even though almost every team in the league would love to get their hands on arguably one of the best scorers in the NBA, only three teams have surfaced as possible destinations for the rising star.
Once the news of the contract extension being declined by Carmelo Anthony came out, the one team that seemed to be the frontrunner for Melo was the New York Knicks. Considering that Melo’s wife Lala Vasquez works in the Big Apple and the superstar forward played his college ball with Syracuse, New York was the perfect fit for Melo, but trade talks between the Nuggets and the Knicks have come up short as the two teams are finding it hard to agree upon a deal.
Unlike in years past, the New York Knicks are finally a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern
Conference once again. With the addition of All-Star forward Amare Stoudemire and point guard
Raymond Felton, this storied franchise is starting to get back on track as they seem to be playoff bound. 
If the Knicks were able to bring Melo to the Big Apple they would get what many people believe as the final piece to the puzzle. With Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire and Raymond Felton, the New York Knicks might be able to contend with the likes of the Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat in the East.
Unfortunately, the Knicks and the Nuggets just can’t seem to agree on a deal as Denver is asking too much and New York is unwilling to part with their promising young talent. With the Knicks failing to get a deal done with the Nuggets with the NBA trade deadline rapidly approaching, the New Jersey Nets have gotten back into the running for the All-Star forward as reportedly talks between the two teams have started up once again.
It wasn’t all that long ago that the New Jersey Nets new owner and Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokorov called off trade talks with the Denver Nuggets as he believed a deal just couldn’t be done. Not only were the Nuggets asking too much of the Nets, but the trade talks and rumors had become a big distraction for the team.
Ironically enough, the Nets are seemingly back in the mix for Carmelo Anthony as the two teams have begun talking once again. If a deal does get done between Denver and New Jersey, a third team like the Detroit Pistons might have to get involved. Otherwise, a deal including rookie Derrick Favors, Troy Murphy and draft picks for Carmelo Anthony would be the most likely proposal by the Nets.
Even though the New York Knicks and the New Jersey Nets are the frontrunners in the Melo
sweepstakes, the two-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers may be the dark horse as they can offer players like Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom and Shannon Brown.
Despite still being in the Mile High City after months of trade rumors, Carmelo Anthony could ultimately end up staying with the Denver Nuggets, but my best guess is that he is headed to the Eastern Conference before the NBA trade deadline on Thurs. Feb. 24, 2011.
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