Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks: Fantasy Impact

We have a resolution to the so-called ‘Melo-drama’ and it ends with Carmelo forcing his way to the New York Knicks.

The blockbuster deal will see the Knicks acquiring Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Anthony Carter, Shelden Williams and former Knick Ronaldo Balkman; The Nuggets have managed to land Raymond Felton, Wilson chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, a 1st round pick and two 2nd round picks. The deal will also see the Knicks land a 1st round pick and Corey Brewer for Eddy Curry and Anthony Randolph.

Mozgov and Gallinari will be headed to the Nets for a package of draft picks the details of which have yet to be finalized.

Overall this is a great deal for the Knicks and although much has been made ado of the Knicks lack of depth after this deal, a healthy Knicks roster is a serious contender to make a serious push in the playoffs.

Fantasy Impact:

Carmelo Anthony stats figure to stay the same in New York despite going to a more up-tempo, high scoring offense. The SSOL offense will be offset by the presence of option 1b Amare Stoudemire who will demand a ton of shots on a daily basis.

Amare Stoudemire stands to see a slight decrease in his scoring output and should find himself in the 22-24 ppg range after Carmelo settles in comfortably with the Knicks offense.

Chauncey Billups stands to see a slight uptick in assists and should also see an ever so slight increase in steals. It also stands to reason that Chauncey Billups could add another point or two to his scoring average but it is no sure thing.

Corey Brewer should become the first swingman off the bench behind Carmelo Anthony and Landry Fields and should provide the Knicks with a rock solid defensive stopper on the perimeter. He is not fantasy relevant at this time except for in the deepest leagues.

Wilson Chandler looks like he will get the nod to take over Carmelo Anthony’s small forward position once he gets acclimated to the Nuggets offense, but as of right now it is hard to put forth any accurate projections as we have no clue what the Nuggets roster will look like after the Thursday trade deadline.

Danilo Gallinari should become the Nets starter at small forward and should enjoy free reign in an offense that is desperate for scoring help. He is a solid add if you can acquire him via trade.

Anthony Carter, Ronaldo Balkman and Shelden Williams do not figure to be fantasy relevant but as seen with the Knicks before, they are worth an add to your watch list depending on your league size and team needs.

Raymond Felton is expected to be moved though no concrete information has emerged about a potential destination.

Ty Lawson becomes a instant fantasy stud if and when Raymond Felton is traded and needs to be added in all leagues…right now. Lawson has averaged 16 and 6 as a starter for the Nuggets.

Update: The latest reports (credible ones) have it that the Nuggets plan to keep all the player acquired in this deal but we will not know for sure until the trade deadline. We will revisit this trade and provide analysis with the complete fantasy fallout once all the details and further trades have been finalized.