DENVER -- Considering the circumstances, a general belief is the Denver Nuggets didn't do too badly in getting what they could for Carmelo Anthony.Surprisingly, Nuggets executive vice president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri doesn't look at it that way.
"We feel we got killed in the trade because we lost a couple of pretty good players,'' Ujiri said. "Obviously, Carmelo Anthony. I feel sad for the city of Denver. I feel bad that this was done on my watch. To lose a guy like that. And also Chauncey (Billups). But I think we had to do it.''
That's heavy stuff. But Ujiri (right) is well aware how important superstars are to winning in the NBA. He traded one Tuesday, knowing Anthony had asked to be dealt and he wasn't going to re-sign with the team this summer when he could have become a free agent.
So Anthony and Billups were the key pieces shipped to New York in a three-team deal. When the dust had settled, the Nuggets had ended up with guard Raymond Felton, forwards Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler, center Timofey Mozgov, a 2014 first-round pick, 2012 and 2013 second-round picks (that used to belong to Golden State) and $3 million from the Knicks. The Nuggets also sent forwards Shelden Williams and Renaldo Balkman and guard Anthony Carter to New York and also sent a 2015 second-round pick to Minnesota for center Kosta Koufos.
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Full story at http://nba.fanhouse.com/2011/02/23/nuggets-masai-ujiri-we-got-killed-on-carmelo-deal/
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