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Report: Carmelo Anthony Eyeing Trade To New York Knicks Or Chicago Bulls [Video]

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 22, 2010 at 7:30am

Video After The Jump Carmelo Anthony's wish list starts with the New York Knicks, but that's not the only trade destination he's targeting. Sources briefed on the state of Anthony's ongoing push to be dealt by the Denver Nuggets told ESPN.com on Tuesday that the Chicago Bulls are a firm 1A on his list. This is partly attributed to the fact that the Bulls are much closer to assembling the sort of package Denver would want in return for its franchise player than the Knicks. Over the last 72 hours, sources said, Anthony's representatives -- headed by agent Leon Rose -- have been ramping up the pressure on the Nuggets to complete a deal with the Knicks or the Bulls before training camps open leaguewide next week. Sources say that Denver officials, however, are not inclined to rush into anything. ESPN.com reported Sunday night that the Nuggets, in recent days, have been telling interested teams for the first time that they are willing to field offers for Anthony after resisting such inquiries for weeks. But even as the Nuggets have opted to see what sort of haul can be had for their high-scoring forward, there remains strong sentiment within the organization to slow the process down in hopes of mounting one last campaign to win back Anthony's support. The Nuggets, sources said, are clinging to the hope that Anthony might reconsider his trade-me stance once he starts hearing some Denver-friendly voices upon reporting to camp after weeks of isolation from the organization. Anthony will be greeted by the likes of head coach George Karl and trusted teammate Chauncey Billups trying to convince the 26-year-old that his current team is not far away from a return to contention in the Western Conference and that the foundation of the group that reached the West finals in 2009 should not be scrapped. Yet sources say that the message from Anthony's camp to the Nuggets has stayed consistent: New York and Chicago are the preferred landing spots, with New Jersey and Houston also still in the conversation. The Nets remain a viable option because of their planned move to Brooklyn and because the Nets have what several rival executives believe to be the deepest cache of assets to satisfy Denver's trade demands in its worst-case scenario. Though the Rockets are the fourth known team in the Anthony sweepstakes, multiple sources close to the situation insisted Friday that Houston is not making guard Kevin Martin part of the discussions. The Nuggets, sources maintain, would expect a combination of expiring contracts, future first-round draft picks and at least one marketable young talent if they ultimately concede that Anthony must be traded between now and the February trading deadline. The Nuggets have offered Anthony, who can become a free agent next July, a three-year extension worth $65 million. ESPN.com reported Monday that the Nets are widely regarded in NBA front-office circles as the frontrunner for Anthony. New Jersey is reportedly willing to package No. 3 overall pick Derrick Favors with the expiring contracts of Troy Murphy and Kris Humphries and at least one future first-rounder. It's believed that the Nets, though, would insist on Anthony agreeing to a contract extension as part of the trade -- as Kevin Garnett did when Minnesota sent him to Boston in the summer of 2007 -- before they agree to surrender assets such as Favors and draft picks. The Bulls could theoretically trump any New Jersey offer if they were willing to include center Joakim Noah as part of a deal for Anthony. Sources with knowledge of Chicago's thinking, however, have maintained for days that the Bulls are strongly against the inclusion of Noah, revealing instead that Chicago has offered a package featuring Luol Deng, Taj Gibson and one future first-rounder. Playing alongside former Team USA teammate Amare Stoudemire in New York is thought to hold the greatest appeal to Anthony, something Stoudemire openly discussed earlier in the summer. The Knicks, though, simply lack the draft picks to sweeten a package that sources say would be centered around Eddy Curry's expiring contract and either Danilo Gallinari or Anthony Randolph -- but not both of those young players. The Knicks, Bulls and Nets all stand to benefit from Denver's determination to send Anthony out of the Western Conference if it decides there is no alternative apart from trading him, but sources close to the process note that a third team would almost certainly have to be recruited to help facilitate a deal. Reports have persisted for weeks that Anthony, wielding the hammer of his potential free agency in the wake of the defections of LeBron James and Chris Bosh to Miami, wants out. ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher reported Aug. 16 that it was "a matter of when, not if, Anthony and the Nuggets will go their separate ways." But Anthony has not made any such declarations publicly, announcing Tuesday night via his Twitter feed: "Everyone has [their] own opinion. It's funny. It cracks me up." Yet Anthony did add in a follow-up tweet: "When I know something ... you guys will know something."

Source: ESPN twitter-5d.gif
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No Lebron, How Bout Mello? Carmelo Anthony Wants Out Of Denver Bad. Said To Be Interested In New York Knicks [Video + Poll]

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on August 16, 2010 at 8:38pm

All signs continue to point toward the eventual divorce between Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets. League sources say it is now a matter of when, not if, Anthony and the Nuggets will go their separate ways. Anthony is weighing whether to sign a three-year, $65 million extension offered by the Nuggets. His dilemma, league sources say, is what affords him the best chance of continuing his career elsewhere. Anthony could sign with Denver and convince the team to then trade him. His other option would be to not sign the extension, thereby forcing the team to move him rather than risk losing him next summer as a free agent. During his annual basketball camp in Colorado on Saturday, Anthony said he had no timetable on when he'll decide whether to sign the extension. In either case, "he's going to make it real clear that he's not coming back," said one league source. But both Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke and Anthony already are well aware that they don't have a future together, sources say. That became clear to Kroenke at a reception after Anthony's July 11 nuptials to La La Vasquez in Manhattan. A series of toasts at the wedding reception, initiated by New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul, suggested Anthony leave Denver for the New York Knicks. Paul suggested it playfully, one source said, but subsequent guests -- including Knicks power forward Amare Stoudemire and Anthony's brother, Robert -- made the point more forcefully. Then Kroenke stood up to give a toast and the room was filled with an awkward silence, one wedding guest said. Kroenke tried to make light of the situation by suggesting Paul could come to Denver but that elicited no response. While Anthony stood and applauded Kroenke when he was recognized, he apparently did nothing to discourage or dismiss the suggestions that he should leave the Nuggets. "There were other people saying, 'We're going to get you guys together,' but it doesn't become a runaway train if Melo says something," said one source. "Maybe he didn't perpetuate it, but tell people to stop or say, 'Stan, I'm sorry.' He didn't do any of that." Paul has since met with Hornets management and appears less eager to leave New Orleans, but all the signals from Anthony are that he would like to be in a different uniform this season. Wedding signals included. Anthony's agent, Leon Rose, could not be reached for comment and the Nuggets declined to comment. Source: ESPN
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Yao Ming's Foot Injury Could Be "Career Threatening"

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on June 29, 2009 at 6:21pm

HOUSTON – Rockets center Yao Ming's broken left foot could be a "career-threatening" injury. Dr. Tom Clanton, the Houston Rockets' team physician, told the Houston Chronicle on Monday that Yao's injury "has the potential for him missing this next season and could be career-threatening." Yahoo! Sports first reported the Rockets and Yao's representatives were concerned the 7-foot-6 All-Star would never play again. Yahoo! Sports quoted "multiple league executives, officials close to Yao and two doctors with knowledge of the diagnoses." Yao suffered a hairline fracture of the tarsal navicular bone late in a May 8 playoff game against the Los Angeles Lakers. The team said last week the injury hasn't healed and he was out indefinitely. Yao played in 77 regular-season games in 2008-09, his most injury-free year since 2004-05, when he played in 80. Before last season, Yao missed chunks of previous three seasons with leg and foot injuries. He missed 21 games in 2005-06 after surgery to heal an infection to his left big toe, then broke a bone in his left foot with four games left in the regular season. In 2006-07, Yao missed 32 games after breaking his right leg and he suffered a stress fracture in his left foot in 2007-08, underwent surgery and sat out 26 games. Yao hurried back from that foot injury to represent China in the Beijing Games. He made it through the Rockets' season and the first round of the playoffs before breaking his left foot late in the Rockets' 108-94 loss to the Lakers in Game 3 of the second round at the Toyota Center. Two days later, Yao said he didn't believe the injury was as serious as any of his previous ones. The Rockets said he would miss only 8-12 weeks. But last week, the team said Yao would undergo additional tests and consult with other doctors to map out a new course of treatment. Yao is due to make over $16 million next season with a player option for 2010-11 that would pay him over $17 million. He was the top overall pick by the Rockets in the 2002 draft. The Rockets already expect Tracy McGrady to miss at least the first half of next season after microfracture surgery on his left knee. Houston acquired McGrady in a trade with Orlando in June 2004, hoping the All-Star duo would carry Houston back to the NBA's top tier. But one or the other has been injured for almost their entire time as teammates. The Rockets are 146-74 in the 220 games McGrady and Yao have played together, a low total across five seasons. General manager Daryl Morey said last week Yao's uncertain status wouldn't affect any of his offseason plans for trades or free-agent signings. He has said the Rockets are interested in re-signing free agent Ron Artest. Morey said after last week's draft he would not comment on Yao's health beyond the statement released by the team that was out indefinitely Source: Yahoo
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Rockets vs Lakers Game 6 The Most Watched NBA Game IN ESPN History

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on May 16, 2009 at 4:13am
Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinal series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets was the most watched basketball game ever on ESPN. The Rockets' 95-80 victory on Thursday drew 7.35 million viewers, topping the 6.6 million that watched Miami beat Detroit in Game 6 of the 2006 Eastern Conference finals. The game earned a 5.4 national rating and a 16.0 rating in Houston, ESPN's highest local rating for an NBA telecast. ESPN's audience for its six conference semifinal games is up 16 percent from last year. The rating is the percentage of all homes with televisions tuned into a program, while the share is the percentage of all TVs in use at the time.
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