Even most Knicks fans might agree that the Denver Nuggets won the Carmelo Anthony trade, given how 'Melo's tenure in NYC went and ended…and count the former Nuggets coach among those who agree.
If you don't remember specifics, in February 2011, the Knicks and Nuggets (with some small help from Minnesota), made this deal (breakdown courtesy of basketball-reference.com):
February 22, 2011: As part of a 3-team trade, Carmleo Anthony traded by the Denver Nuggets with Renaldo Balkman, Chauncey Billups, Anthony Carter, Shelden Williams and a 2016 1st round draft pick (Jakob Pöltl was later selected) to the New York Knicks; the Denver Nuggets traded a 2015 2nd round draft pick (Richaun Holmes was later selected) to the Minnesota Timberwolves; the Minnesota Timberwolves traded Kosta Koufos to the Denver Nuggets; the Minnesota Timberwolves traded Corey Brewer to the New York Knicks; the New York Knicks traded Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, cash, a 2012 2nd round draft pick (Quincy Miller was later selected), a 2013 2nd round draft pick (Romero Osby was later selected), a 2014 1st round draft pick (Dario Šarić was later selected) and a 2016 1st round draft pick (Jamal Murray was later selected) to the Denver Nuggets; and the New York Knicks traded Eddy Curry, Anthony Randolph and cash to the Minnesota Timberwolves. (Nuggets acquired right to swap 2016 1st-Rd picks with Knicks)
And now, almost a decade later, Karl weighed in on Twitter:
The trade tree has grown over the years, but the immediate aftermath was that the Nuggets had two straight first-round exits in 2012 and 2013 before Karl left, while the Knicks won 54 games in 2012-13 but haven't been above .500 since, and have been hamstrung by salary cap woes related to the Anthony deal.
Denver did get Jamal Murray in that 2016 Draft, and Murray has helped lead the Nuggets to two straight division titles and a Western Conference Finals berth this past season – so perhaps, in the long-run, Karl was right?
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