For starters, I think the Knicks gave up entirely too much in this deal. Don't get me wrong it's a tremendous trade, but it doesn't make New York an instant contender and they up some quality depth to get him. Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari aren't in the same class as Anthony, but they were rounding into solid players. I mentioned in another post that I would've called everyone's bluff and waited it out an got Anthony as a free agent since he was pushing so hard to get to New York. I wasn't sold that he would resign with New Jersey or anywhere else. If Denver traded him anywhere except New York and he didn't resign, then oh well. Play your chips in the free agent market and use the remaining players to fill another hole. I firmly believe the Knicks could've had him for nothing.
The primary reason why the Knicks felt like the had to have Anthony now is because of owner James Dolan. I believe GM Donnie Walsh didn't want to make the trade because he didn't want to gut the team in the process of making the trade. But Dolan undermined Walsh in the decision making process. And now Isiah Thomas comes out and takes partial credit for the trade. Call me nuts, but Thomas may be right. I don't believe Thomas seduced Anthony to New York, but Thomas still has Dolan's ear and Dolan listened. How in the world do you fire a guy and want to hire him back, albeit a consultant. The Knicks have a man in Walsh who knows what he's doing and are undermining his efforts to build the team. If I'm Walsh I bail out after the season so Dolan can have his lovefest with Thomas, because if Dolan doesn't listen to him now he never will. I almost feel sorry for him since he was brought there to put the Knicks back together, but now no one will listen to him.
It was a nice deal but it has Dolan's and Thomas's fingerprints all over it.
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