Posts from the Nuggets Category at FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

There will be no Tskitishvili repeats for the Nuggets this year.

Remember all that speculation earlier about what the Nuggets might want to do with their 20th overall pick in the draft? Well, forget it. Because they went ahead and sent that pick to the Charlotte Bobcats for "a future protected first round draft pick."

It appeared to me that the Nuggets could have used some size, and it seemed more than plausible that someone like Roy Hibbert or Marreese Speights would still have been on the board at 20, so why give away the pick? It's possible that the team didn't want to add to the roster with players like J.R. Smith and Eduardo Najera expected to be re-signed later this summer, or maybe they felt that whoever they'd get at 20 wouldn't really solve the team's immediate issues.

As for the Bobcats, they're now sitting pretty with the #9 and #20 picks in the draft. If Kevin Love and Brook Lopez are gone by the time Charlotte's first pick rolls around, they can feel confident in taking the best guard available, knowing that there should still be plenty of serviceable bigs left when they pick again at 20.

Crystal Ballin' takes a team-by-team look at what should, could, and probably will happen in the June 26th NBA Draft.

After just barely making the playoffs, the Nuggets were unceremoniously swept out of them by the Lakers in the first round. There have been a lot of rumors lately surrounding Carmelo Anthony, which have been put to rest for the moment. But it's obvious the team is going to have to make some changes -- either philosophically or otherwise -- to get more out of obe of the league's most talented rosters.

Picks: #20.

Needs: This team has a lot of firepower offensively, but could use a low post presence who isn't opposed to playing defense.

Best case scenario: Roy Hibbert or Kosta Koufos would fit nicely, especially Hibbert with his defense.

The Denver Nuggets suspended Carmelo Anthony for the fist two games of the 2008-09 season for his recent DUI arrest, although Melo was able to plead to a lesser charge. The statement from the team went a little something like this:

"We take drinking and driving very seriously," Nuggets vice president Mark Warkentien said. "Carmelo admits he made a serious lapse in judgment and has expressed his sincere remorse numerous times since to the Nuggets organization, his fans and the Denver community. We will continue to support Carmelo as he strives to live up to the high expectations set by Carmelo himself and the Nuggets organization on and off the court. We will respect the legal process moving forward and continue to handle the matter internally without further comment."

Blah, blah, blah. I found it curious that there's no mention of whether or not this suspension will be with or without pay, and since it wasn't mentioned, it probably means that Melo gets to keep the two game checks. Which makes this suspension completely pointless.

If the team really wanted to make a statement, they'd attach a fine to the suspension, or make it clear that Carmelo wasn't being paid to sit on the bench in a suit for two games. Instead, this is just a hollow gesture by the team, which does nothing more than ensure that the Nuggets start the season 0-2. Considering they only made the playoffs by a two game margin this season, the suspension may have some long-lasting, unintentional consequences.

As quickly as Carmelo Anthony's future with Denver was put into question due to a "promise you won't trade me, or trade me!" demand reported Saturday, Carmelo Anthony's future with Denver has apparently been settled. ESPN's Chris Broussard follows up on his original report:

The agent for Carmelo Anthony says the Denver Nuggets have told him they will not trade the two-time All-Star forward this summer. "He's not going to be moved," Calvin Andrews said in a telephone interview Sunday. "It's not happening. We've been given assurances from the owner on down."

Of course, this is the same agent who a) has already insisted 'Melo wouldn't be traded this summer, before Denver considered a lofty offer from the Pistons, and b) has been removed as Anthony's point-man on endorsements and marketing, yet still took credit for Anthony's latest shoe deal. Not to besmirch the good name of Calvin Andrews, but yeah ...

Broussard's reportage always comes through with intriguing peripheral details. In this one: coach George Karl allegedly wants to consider trading 'Melo, but the other decision-makers remain opposed to dumping a 24-year-old who averages nearly 25 points per game for his career on 46% shooting, with 6 rebounds thrown in for good measure. The gall of those fools, hanging on to one of the best scorers in the game who exists on his pittance of a post-rookie max deal.

Carmelo Anthony has heard all the rumors. As interested observers always hoping to see the Earth shake, we love seeing them. As someone whose life might be uprooted at any moment, 'Melo wishes it would all go away. As such, ESPN's Chris Broussard reports Anthony has demanded a meeting with Nuggets brass to assert what, if anything, is going on here. Broussard writes:

[Anthony's] desire is to stay in Denver and he wants assurances from the Nuggets that they will not trade him. Anthony's party expects to get those assurances on Monday, according to the sources. If the Nuggets don't commit to building around Anthony -- and instead demonstrate a willingness to trade him -- he will ask to be moved.

So basically, some crackpot ideas out of New Jersey and a reported offer of Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince from Detroit has knocked 'Melo into this period of personal despair? Broussard reports the Nugs have not been offering 'Melo up in any way.

Pardon the nostalgia, but this reminds me of the time Ron Artest heard a rumor the Pacers wanted to trade him, and then demanded a trade. There was no smoke in Indiana before Artest's wacky demand, and there really doesn't look to be any smoke in Denver now -- especially taking Broussard's account into account, as it's the most assertive dispatch on Detroit's designs on 'Melo to this point.

If all this faux-desperation from Anthony's camp isn't (in part) the result of some madness concerning his unstable representation situation, I'll eat Von Wafer's hat.

Allen Iverson had until today to opt out of the final year of his contract with the Denver Nuggets, and his agent Leon Rose just confirmed to the Rocky Mountain News that his client will play out his current deal, which will pay him more than $20 million in 2008-09. This was certainly expected -- Iverson has said he wanted to remain all season, and Marcus Camby predicted his teammate would return earlier this week -- but you can never take anything for granted.

Just because Iverson decided against opting out doesn't mean he'll necessarily be playing in Denver next year: his hefty expiring deal is an interesting bargaining chip for teams looking to make a move, and guys like Carmelo Anthony and Camby have also been mentioned in their share of rumors. Plus J.R. Smith, whom AI is essentially blocking from the starting lineup, is a restricted free agent -- while Denver's up-and-down style of play fits his game, he may be able to find a starting gig elsewhere.

Even if the Nuggets can't find a blockbuster to their liking, expect at least a small deal: ESPN's Chad Ford reported a rumor yesterday involving the Grizzlies sending Kyle Lowry and the 28th overall pick to Denver for Linas Kleiza. That deal coud. make sense for both teams, considering Grizzlies' glut of point guards and the fact that Anthony Carter, the Nuggets' starter last year, is now a free agent. Whatever happens, expect the Nuggets to be one of this summer's most active teams.

NBA Essentials ranks our six favorite stories of the day.

1. Deadspin: Photos of Charles Oakley getting his shirtless party on.

2. The Sporting Blog: The Celtics aren't a realistic model for success.

3. Chad Ford, ESPN: Draft approaching, rumors flying: Anderson Varejao, Leandro Barbosa, Linas Kleiza are some of the names in play.

4. Mike Bresnahan, L.A. Times: Lakers are in no hurry to sign Andrew Bynum to a contract extension.

5. OC Register: Clippers secretly worked out O.J. Mayo.

6. Paul Coro, AZ Republic: Amare Stoudemire declines an invitation to play in the Olympics.

From the pages of this year's edition of "Trade Rumors That Seem To Spring From The Ether And Return As Quickly" comes a lovely bit of speculation regarding Carmelo Anthony. There have been whispers and insinuations for a few days about Melo potentially being traded to Detroit for some set of pieces.

Combine that with Woody Paige and his WACKY ANTICS(!) and you've got yourself a legitimate piece of buzz. Except Paige's proposal, involving, among others, Anthony, Marcus Camby, Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince (yes, all of them) doesn't work according to the cap rules. Nor according to logical thought (a far fetched concept in NBA GMs, I know, but we're talking Dumars, here). Not according to Melo's agent. It does not work on a train, it does not work on a plane. It does not work with the freight, it does not work with BAC of .148. It will not work, Woody You Are, it does not work, not by far.

It seems that more and more the trades that involve two teams talking to each other repeatedly almost never fall through. Conversely, big trades that just "spring up" like the Shaquille O'Neal trade or even the Pau Gasol heist are much more effective. But if you're a fan of the "where there's smoke, there's Carmelo Anthony" approach, throw this one on the pile, see if it lights.

Let me tell ya: this whole Ty Lawson saga just keeps getting weirder. After announcing he will enter the NBA Draft, he's had nothing but drama.

• He bitched about people saying he's testing the waters.
• He didn't like Tar Heels fans slamming him.
• He announced he'd come back to school if he wasn't guaranteed to go in the top twenty picks.
• After playing one game in the NBA's Pre-Draft camp, he sat the rest of the time with a hip pointer.
• He doesn't show up to a workout with the Nuggets, who hold the #20 pick.
• He gets arrested for drinking, playing loud music and other stuff.

Mind you, he still has a week to make a decision on whether or not to come back to North Carolina (he hasn't signed with an agent, keeping his eligibility), so lord knows what else could go wrong.

Well, add this to the list: Lawson rolled his ankle while working out for the Washington Wizards. The Wiz hold the #18 pick and ... let's just say ... they have a thing for UNC players (Antawn Jamison, Brendan Haywood, assistant coach Mike O'Koren).

Remember that Lawson has hurt his ankle during the past season at UNC.

Last week, UNC point guard product Ty Lawson got arrested for allegedly driving with some alcohol in his blood and committing sundry other violations (like having his music too loud). Note: it wasn't a DUI. But Lawson had been drinking, and he's not yet 21. So it's criminal.

Lawson, already settling into the lower part of the first round, had to think his stake might slide. Various reports prior to the incident had Lawson aimed at pick #20, which belongs to Denver. The Nuggets play up-tempo ball and have a desperate need at the point. They also have some recent, painful history with respects to drinking and driving, if you'll remember Carmelo Anthony's unfortunate postseason arrest.

And guess what? Hoopsworld's Travis Heath reports this evening that Denver has revoked its invitation to Lawson for a team workout. Lawson was supposed to be in Denver this weekend, but the Nuggets told him to stay home. While it doesn't mean Lawson won't get drafted, it almost certainly means the Nuggets ain't biting.

That's a bit of a problem, as Lawson has said he'll only stay in if he's projected in the top 20. Again, Denver picks #20. Taking one of the few options that high -- and seemingly the most likely, before the arrest -- means Lawson might not meet his goal. Will he go back to Chapel Hill? Will he fall into the second round and end up as a 13th man or NBDL assignee?