Is Carmelo Anthony a Max Player?

[Purple Reign]

According to his agent he is.....

Melo looking for the max


Anthony's agent claims star forward should get big deal with big year

By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News
October 22, 2005

LOS ANGELES - The Denver Nuggets can negotiate a contract extension next summer for forward Carmelo Anthony. If you ask his agent, there might not be much to negotiate. Calvin Andrews said Friday his client figures to be in line for a maximum deal.
"If he has the season that we expect, I would see it as a no-brainer," Andrews said of a maximum contract. "If not (the Nuggets), somebody will (offer him one)."


But Andrews is hoping it won't come to that. He wants to lock up a deal next summer and have Anthony avoid becoming a restricted free agent in summer 2007.

"We want to stay in Denver," Andrews said. "Denver is the place."

Anthony, entering his third season, should have his fourth-year contract option picked up by Oct. 31. Anthony and the Nuggets then would be able to negotiate a five-year extension that begins in 2007-08 by next summer.

When asked if he deserves the maximum, Anthony said, "I ain't talking about that right now." But he left no doubt about his desire to hammer out a deal next summer and remain in Denver.

"Of course," said Anthony, who was given a day off Friday, sitting out Denver's 97-91 preseason win against Washington at the Staples Center. "I love it here."

A current maximum contract for a player in Anthony's classification would start at $12 million and be worth $72.6 million over five years. If the first-year maximum salary is $13 million in 2007-08, a five-year deal would be worth $78.65 million.

"No doubt," Nuggets center Marcus Camby said of Anthony deserving a maximum deal. "He's been proving it ever since his one year at Syracuse and his first couple of years in the league. He's a superstar in my mind, and he deserves to be paid the superstars' bucks."

For now, the Nuggets are concentrating on Nene, a big man who can have his contract extended by Oct. 31. But the general belief is Nene, who has taken out an insurance policy to protect himself in the event of injury, will end up becoming a restricted free agent next summer.

Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe declined to comment on the possibility of Anthony receiving a maximum deal, but he said there is "no question" he wants to keep Anthony.

If Anthony were to sign a maximum deal, he would make an amount similar to the $13 million base salary Denver forward Kenyon Martin will earn in 2007-08. Martin has a seven-year, $92.5 million deal, but an Anthony contract could be worth more on an average yearly basis. "Yeah," Martin said about Anthony receiving a maximum contract. "He's the face of the franchise."

 

[Purple Reign]

I do not think that Anthony is a superstar player...RIGHT NOW. But there is no doubt in my mind that this guy is going to mature into the premiere small forward in the league, once his defense and his body catches up to his offensive skills. Because everytime I see this guy, he seems to still carry that "baby fat".

I know....what about LeBron? I do not look at LeBron as a position player. That guy is a "complete" basketball player (PG, SG, SF....anything he wants to do) and will be in a class by himself, better than Wade and Anthony twice over as the "premiere player in the NBA, period!!. But as far as prototype small fowards, Carmelo has the package.
And max players are guys that are what Keynon Martin said "The Face of the Franchise".

 

[hoopsfan]

Doesn't every team have a "face of the franchise"?? Even the Bobcats.

 

[Kings113]

I think he well could be by the end of this season.

 

[Kev.in]

I feel he's in the same class as Peja. A very nice small forward, a good scorer but by no means a complete player and therefore he is not worth the max. There might be a dozen teams out there desperate enough to tender a max contract for a scorer of that level, but that doesn't mean he'll be worth it 5 or 6 years after he signs the deal.

 

[thesanityannex]

I feel he's in the same class as Peja.

Yes, he is in the same class as Peja, which means.........until you are out of that class, NO MAX CONTRACT.

 

[ONEZERO]

No way in HELL this guy doesn't get the max. Have u seen the players who have been getting maxes lately? Redd, johnson, etc..... And carmelo is way better than peja its not even funny. If they're both looking for maxes next year, then lets get rid of peja and give the max to carmelo. That's if were giving the max to someone, I would rather give it to carmelo over peja in a heartbeat.

 

[Bricklayer]

Today? No. I think due to his age though that he probably realistically is based on potential. Just getting started.

 

[HndsmCelt]

Well as Dad taught me about used cars they are worth exactly what they can get...

 

[TXSactoFan]

if the nuggets are ready to pay KMART 90 million, they probably will pay carmelo too

 

[loopymitch]

Max's are given out like candy at Hallowe'en almost these days. Sure why not if all these other people can , why not Melo?

 

[VF21]

Two different questions IMHO.

IS he a max player? Not by the old way of judging who should or shouldn't receive the absolute maximum available.

WILL he receive a max contract? As loopy is saying, they've been all too common recently. My guess is that sooner or later the owners are going to wise up and quit bowing in to the pressure of some of these athletes and their agents. It always amazes me - the owners have the ultimate ability to put a stop to this stuff. They don't, however, because one of them is always willing to go against the tide just for the chance that one player could make that much difference. Sorry, but there are a mere handful of players that TRULY make that much impact on their team AND have the ability to get said team to the playoffs.

Having said all that, I'll be pretty surprised if Melo doesn't get a maximum deal somewhere.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

I'll be pretty surprised if he doesn't get one in Denver; even in terms of pure name recognition, he's the biggest star they've had since Alex English, and probably a lot bigger.

 

[bibbyweb]

He will definitely get a max contract and I think this year he will prove that he is worth it.

 

[sc3252]

Lebron/kg/duncan/shaq/dirk/koby/AI are max players, this guy isnt! Of course that doesnt mean they wont give him a max.

 

[Fillmoe]

Yes, he is in the same class as Peja, which means.........until you are out of that class, NO MAX CONTRACT.

WRONG! hes not in the same class as peja... peja as like 5-6 years in the league... melo is starting his 3rd year.... age is a big factor when talkin about a max contract..... melo is like 22-23 peja is 28-29.... all that factors in... their stats might be similar but thats about it

 

[Evenstar]

i don't think at this point in time he's worth the max, but i'm sure he'll get it.

 

[mr. moustache]

Redd is a max player. THat's a fact. Melo will be a max player. I wouldn't be surprised if Peja will be one as well. You can't argue with the facts. If he's paid the max, he is a max player. Redd is indeed, a max player, just like Kobe and Co.

 

[Bricklayer]

Redd is a max player. THat's a fact. Melo will be a max player. I wouldn't be surprised if Peja will be one as well. You can't argue with the facts. If he's paid the max, he is a max player. Redd is indeed, a max player, just like Kobe and Co.

That's technical, but clearly not what we are talking about here. In that case Brian Grant and Penny Hardaway are max players too.

What evrybody's discussing is SHOULD he be? Is he worth it? Just because a guy gets a contract doesn't mean its remotely a good idea. You go down the highest paid players' list int he NBA, and about half of them were clearly bad ideas.

In Melo's case answer would be if you're paying him max that you're hoping the young kid grows to be a 25+ and 8 superstar, not a 20 and 5 borderline star. Max guys eat up such a huge % of your cap, that they just have to be able to lead your team and carry them. Melo does not now. But you can see the potentiial for him to maybe do it one day as he develops.