The rumors were incessant.  The process was exhausting.  And the Knicks may have given up more than they wanted, or expected, in order to obtain for Carmelo Anthony – but they ended up reeling in the big fish.

However, due to the assets they were forced to part with, this wasn’t a ‘no-brainier’ by any means.  Now, let’s break down the trade into its component parts and attempt to predict how it impacts the Knicks both in the near future and in the long term.

Surprisingly, there was a healthy contingent of Knicks fans that immediately voiced their displeasure with the trade.  The general consensus among angry Knicks fans is that their team overpaid for Carmelo.  As I discussed over the weekend, there were essentially two schools of thought regarding the Knicks pursuit of Anthony.  One camp was dead set  against gutting the roster in order to bring in Carmelo, whom the Knicks may have had the opportunity to sign outright as a free agent over the summer.  Another group of Knicks fans wanted Donnie Walsh to do whatever it took to bring Carmelo to NYC, ASAP. 

Yet, when the details of trade first started to leak late Monday night, even Melo-supporters seem slightly shaken that the Knicks had to give up so much.

As it turns out, the final details look like this: Denver will get Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, the Knicks’ 2014 first-round draft pick, the Warriors’ 2012 second-round pick, the Warriors’ 2013 second-round pick and $3 million in cash while Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter, Renaldo Balkman and Corey Brewer (via Minnesota) will head to New York.  As part of the three-team trade, the Knicks will also send Eddy Curry and Anthony Randolph to Minnesota.

"You have to give something, to get something."  It’s a cliché that predates the NBA itself, and it rings true here.

The Knicks are giving up three players that have been integral to their modest success this season, and a fourth (Mozgov) who has been recently re-installed as the team’s starting center.  They also gave up a young prospect in Anthony Randolph, Eddy Curry expiring contract, and multiple picks.

The downside is obvious.  The Knicks demolished a roster that New Yorkers had a strong affinity for.  Gallo and Chandler are both still young developing players who possess significant upside.  Raymond Felton was enjoying the best season of his career.  Mozgov is a legit seven-footer with impressive athleticism.

Nonetheless, the trade still made far too much sense for Donnie to decline.

First and foremost, the Knicks are getting the best player in the deal.  That fact can not be debated.  Anytime you make a trade and land the only true superstar in the entire deal, that’s a good start. 

Secondly, the Knicks were able to hold onto Landry Fields.  That was an important win for Walsh.  Fields is a pro’s pro.  As much as I hate the term, he was a true ‘glue guy.’  By far and away, Landry was the team’s leader in the plus/minus category.

Regarding Chauncey Billups – his impact on the organization, both on and off the floor won’t be appreciated by the casual fan until long after he settles in.  Two summers ago, D’Antoni and Walsh wined and dined vets Jason Kidd and Grant Hill, in the hopes of overpaying them to don a Knicks uniform and help change the culture of the organization.  As I have detailed before, Billups is cut from the same cloth.  He is a proven winner.  He has won everywhere he’s been since developing into an elite point guard in Detroit a decade ago.  And let’s not think he is no longer effective.  While not a quick as he once was, Billups’ basketball IQ has increased, and he continually finds a way to be effective.  Over his last 30 games as a Nugget, Billups averaged 18 points per game, 5.3 assists, 2.4 threes, while shooting an astonishing 49.5% from floor, 50% from three-point range, and 96% from the charity stripe.  Bottom line: Billups can still ball.  And those numbers don’t factor in the intangibles.  Billups will immediately join forces with Amar’e as a locker room leader and the Knicks are better off because of it.    

Moreover, the inclusion of Corey Brewer, a strong defender and the seventh overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft, makes the loss of Gallo and Chandler more palatable.  

Again, the bottom line is that the Knicks are better today then they were yesterday.  Consider that despite the fact that Knicks remained relatively healthy all season long, they were but a .500 ball club three-quarters of the way through this season.

This trade puts the Knicks on path towards becoming a legit contender.  With Melo aboard, are they a championship contender right now? No.  They still have a ways to go.  They will need a stud PG (CP3 or D-Will?) to eventually replace Billups, and they’ll need an imposing defensive-minded center. 

My question to those that criticize the Knicks decision is this: How would they have improved dramatically if they did not trade for Carmelo?  Walsh would have had to cut a big check to retain Wilson Chandler this summer, when he hit the open market as a restricted free agent.  The flowing offseason, in 2012, Donnie would have had to pony up major money to keep Felton, Fields, and Gallo in New York – as all three would have hit free agency together.  (As an aside, it will be interesting to see if the Felton, Gallo, and Chandler’s stats regress a bit once they leave the friendly confines of MSG and Mike D’Antoni’s up-tempo offense.) 

{AUTHOR_BOX}Bottom line: the Knicks weren’t going to advance the second round of the playoffs, let alone the Finals, as previously constituted.  That group was a vast improvement over the cellar-dwellers that had inhabited Madison Square Garden for the previous decade, but the goal of an organization should NOT be to settle for sixth-seed caliber talent.  The goal of every organization should be to win an NBA championship.  Can STAT and Melo, two scoring forwards who aren’t good defenders, be key cogs on a team that wins a title someday? I can’t answer that question with any certainty, one way or another.  One thing I can proclaim without any hesitation: The team that Donnie Walsh broke up on Monday night was not championship material.  That was a good team, but not a great one.  With Carmelo and Stoudemire as the building blocks of the new foundation – that is a team has the potential (key word) to be great.  This is a superstar’s league.  Teams with superstars win titles.  Not teams with homegrown talents that possess promise. 

Correspondingly, this trade can not be fairly graded right now.  We have to wait and see how this situation plays itself out.  We have to wait and watch how the Knicks are impacted by the imminent reshaping of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.   Will the Knicks be able to snag a stud PG (in the final year of his contract) at the trade deadline next year?  Will either Chris Paul or Deron Williams try to force their way to New York as well (Billups expiring contract will be a valuable trade chip)?  Still to be determined…

And more one important factor to consider: Carmelo wanted the big stage and bright lights of Broadway.  That is an essential piece of this puzzle.  Many athletes have shied away from New York’s demanding spotlight.  Carmelo chased it.  Knicks fans have to hope he finds success similar to Amar’e, who has thrived since arriving in the Big Apple.   

That is the big picture view at the Knicks situation.  Short term, their pressing needs are abundantly clear.  Donnie needs to bring in a center and competent, backup PG as soon as possible. 

Amar’e was already playing far too many minutes, and that was before NY traded their starting center and two valuable forwards.  In addition, Chauncey Billups can’t be expected to play the same high-volume of minutes that Ray Felton did for D’Antoni.  Toney Douglas has shown flashes of impressive talent, but injuries and inconsistency have stunted his progress.  However, Billups did play off the ball for Team USA this summer, and also played some two-guard for Denver this season, when Ty Lawson was running the point; so teaming up Douglas and Billups together is an option for D’Antoni.  Nonetheless, acquiring another serviceable PG remains a priority.  

Fortunately for the Knicks, the trade will open a roster spot, which will allow them add a piece without cutting anybody loose. (Waiving Anthony Carter, to create more roster space, is also a possibility).  There is already chatter that the Knicks will bring in big man Earl Barron, who was released by the Suns earlier this season.  Barron gained some admirers within the Garden towards the tail-end of last season when he played well for a depleted Knicks squad.  In the seven games he played for the Knicks last season, Barron averaged 11.7 points and 11 rebounds per game.  Another former Knick, Jared Jefferies, who is currently rotting on the bench in Houston, is another versatile forward that D’Antoni and Donnie Walsh would like to bring in – either via trade, or potentially wait for Jeffries to get bought out after the deadline.

The Knicks also still have Kelenna Azubuike’s expiring contract (potentially paid through insurance) to pawn off for a piece between now and Thursday’s 3pm trade deadline.

 
Obviously there is still plenty to be sorted out over the next few days.  Stay tuned to HOOPSWORLD.com and @tommybeer on twitter for continuously updated coverage.