Don't get me wrong. I love trade rumors as much as the next guy, but Tom Ziller raises a good point at AOL Fanhouse this morning. He asks, "Haven't we learned anything from The Decision?" And continues:
Apparently not, with ESPN's Ric Bucher breathlessly reporting Monday that sources say Melo is not long for Denver. This is the same Bucher, of course, who swore two ways to Wilshire Kobe Bryant would be dealt before the start of the 2007-08 season (false) and who -- just days before the actual Decision -- swore up and down Broadway there was no way LeBron would consent to pip status as Wade's teammate in Miami.
Not to besmirch Bucher -- I'm just saying that when your record is perhaps spotty, you need more than what Ric is giving here. And what's he giving? One source who said Anthony either won't sign his extension, or will sign it and demand a trade. The same source is convinced of this because Anthony didn't stop his friends from cracking wise about the Nuggets and Melo's aforementioned wedding.
Indeed, it's worth mentioning that Bucher's not exactly Nostradamus over here, and if there's one thing the Summer of LeBron has proven, it's that none of us really has any clue as to how this stuff might play out. It's not to say that Carmelo Anthony won't part ways with Denver at some point over the next 12 months--I think he will--but it's worth mentioning that Bucher's journalistic authority doesn't exactly prompt a tectonic shift in the narrative here. Or it shouldn't, if we're looking at the situation objectively.
We still don't know what Carmelo's thinking, and Ric Bucher's "source" has done nothing more than interpret writing that's been on the wall for a few months now.
Then again... It's August, and what else are we going to talk about?
Could Chris Paul get the running mate he's wanted all along?
Think about it: Denver gets Peja's expiring contract, a two-year flier on David West, Quincy Pondexter, and New Orleans' 2011 first round pick. They get rid of Nene's deal, and begin the rebuilding process in earnest. New Orleans gets a superstar to pair with Chris Paul, and suddenly, the Hornets look a lot like contenders in the West.
You can mull over more scenarios with ESPN's Trade Machine. It's a fun (and seriously addictive) way to pass the time. Just remember what you're doing, though: Imagining possibilities and solutions to a situation that we don't know much about. Just like Ric Bucher.