But I think Ty (Lawson) and Felton are going to have a great challenge to live up to what Chauncey has given us in past years.Amid an unprecedented playoff run by the Denver Nuggets, an all-time great for the franchise has decided to finally hang it up: Carmelo Anthony announced his retirement today, May 22. "Felton, I thought was having a great season this year. "I'm 100 percent behind the decision we made, even though it will be dangerous and there won't be the veteran point guard back there," Karl added. I know he loves Denver and we love him, but things happen. I think there's many people, including myself, that will be sad for Chauncey. I think that's who he is, that's what he stands for. "His record of seven or eight conference finals is, I mean, that's incredible. "I think Chauncey will go down as one of the greatest winners," Karl said. Karl said he'll miss Billups, a hometown favorite and consummate professional who helped Denver reach the Western Conference finals in 2009-10, when the Nuggets nearly eliminated the eventual champion Lakers. The Nuggets host Memphis on Tuesday night. The Nets' offer, centered around rookie Derrick Favors and draft picks, would have meant a rebuilding situation, while the players they acquire from New York could keep them in postseason contention in the Western Conference. The Nuggets made out well, considering they could have lost Anthony for nothing in the summer. That indeed happened - he was excused from practice Monday so he could remain in California to appear on Conan O'Brien's show. But though he never publicly confirmed the speculation that he wouldn't have extended with the Nets, he did note Friday during the All-Star weekend in Los Angeles that the Knicks were further along after acquiring Stoudemire - his good friend - last summer.Īnthony met with both Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov and Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan over the weekend and hoped there would be a resolution before he returned to the Nuggets. The Nets wanted Anthony, hoping the Brooklyn native would be the face of their franchise when they open their new Barclays Center in 2012. Assuming he extends with the Knicks, Anthony and Stoudemire would be under contract for four more seasons, though the uncertain salary cap situation could wreck New York's plans to be spenders over the next two summers. However, the Knicks felt they couldn't pass on the opportunity to land a 26-year-old superstar once he became available. Felton, Gallinari, Mozgov and Chandler were four of New York's top six players, and there is some thought the Knicks gave up too much to get Anthony, a sensational scorer headed to a team that doesn't necessarily need more scoring. He instead gets his apparent wish to join a Knicks team that is in sixth place in the Eastern Conference and in position for its first playoff berth since 2004.īut they'll make their postseason run without the core of the team. There were persistent rumors Anthony wouldn't take the extension if traded to the Nets, which was a prerequisite for them agreeing to a trade. But once he refused the extension with the Nuggets - plus put his Denver mansion on the market last year - the Nuggets' new front office team of general manager Masai Ujiri and team president Josh Kroenke had to begin trade talks so they wouldn't risk losing him and getting nothing in return as the Cavaliers did with LeBron James and the Toronto Raptors did with Chris Bosh last year. He stood to become the headliner of the 2011 free agent class, but didn't want to risk free agency knowing a new collective bargaining agreement could cost him millions. But Denver advanced out of the first round just once in that time. But he added it was "time to move on, reinvent."Īnthony led the Nuggets to the playoffs in each of his first seven seasons in Denver after winning a national title at Syracuse as a freshman and had them positioned for another playoff run this year. Denver coach George Karl said there was "some sadness" to the deal, which sends away not only Anthony but Billups, the popular Denver native.
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