Melo to the Knicks: A Win-Win for All Involved

Here are my musings on the Carmelo megadeal that went down yesterday:

---Did they give up a lot? Yes. But the Caremelo Anthony trade is a phenomenal deal for the New York Knicks. The Knicks are now equipped with one of the most outstanding duos in the NBA in Amare Stoudamire and Carmelo Anthony, and while there may be a slight transition period, this trade gives the Knicks the ability to compete with the elite. People who are complaining about how much the Knicks gave up are missing the point. New York absolutely had to make this trade.

---Furthermore, the Knicks managed to acquire Carmelo without giving up Landry Fields, their best young player. If it weren't for Blake Griffin, Fields would be the runaway rookie of the year. He is a terrific player and a key part of the Knicks future. Knicks fans everywhere should be in a state of euphoria right now. The magic is back at Madison Sqaure Garden.

---Another reason why I love this trade for the Knicks is that they acquired Chauncey Billups. Billups is in the twilight of his career, but he is still a potent point guard who brings championship experience to the table.

---I can't wait to watch Melo and Amare play together. It is going to be awesome to watch.

---Does this trade make the Knicks title contenders this year? No. New York is still not up to the level of Boston, Chicago, or Miami in the East. However, I would not be shocked if the Knicks pull off an upset in the playoffs against one of the aforementioned teams. With that sensational home crowd at MSG, if the Knicks can find a way to steal a game on the road, they are a viable threat to win any playoff series.

---Still, though, I like the Celtics and Bulls to reach the Eastern Conference Finals.

---As for the Denver Nuggets, this trade is also a win for them. George Karl's team no longer has to deal with the enormous distractions of the Melo saga. Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, and Felton are terrific young players, Timofey Mosgov has interesting potential, and the first-round draft picks will help Denver build for the future. Nuggets fans should be thrilled with this deal as well.

---The only dilemma for the Nuggets lies at the point guard position. Raymond Felton is fantastic, but the Nuggets had been grooming Ty Lawson to be the PG of the future. One of them has got to go. With all due respect to Felton, I think the Nuggets should keep Lawson. Lawson has incredible speed and athleticism, and his youth makes him the smarter choice at PG for a rebuilding franchise. Felton, on the other hand, would be an excellent addition on a contending team.

---The Carmelo Anthony trade was another water-cooler moment in this spectacular NBA season. The NBA is the best league in all of sports, and I can't wait to see how the rest of the season unfolds.