he was so adamant to get out of Denver, granted he was much younger then, but SO adamant that he overlooked all the obvious reasons he would stay, including the fact that he was so good at that point in his career Denver could rightfully demand New York sell the farm for him.

but he was only so adamant because he knew New York had the pieces, and he'd made it pretty clear he'd go to New York that summer anyway (another reason it's a little baffling New York made that trade just to get him there sooner). I can't remember if he had an NTC then; he probably didn't and so he probably pushed a little harder for that deal to ensure he went where he wanted right away rather than waste a few months somewhere else if Denver was desperate for an ROI, but ultimately he had free reign there and he pushed hard for New York no matter the consequences.

I say all that to say I won't be surprised if he leaves, and I won't be surprised with whatever haul New York pulls in for him, but I will be surprised that he folded on the dream of New York basketball. it's always come off like it meant a lot to him, especially that year where they were a great regular season basketball team, and those first few months when he and Amare were playing at peak levels, scoring 30 points and getting MSG hyped like it hadn't been in years and years. I could very easily see him saying "you'll either be great with me or terrible with me but you damn sure won't be either without me so you better decide how you want these next two years to go and get on that bandwagon," and just stick around purely because he's on a great contract and loves living in New York, playing for MSG, W/L column be damned (as a Melo fan I hate to say that, but it'd be the ultimate proof he only tangentially cares about winning an NBA title compared to merely being a great basketball player with a legacy).

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"This is the streets, and I am the trap." � Jay Bilas
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