The "what if" moment that changed every NBA team forever

Denver Nuggets: What if Carmelo Anthony hadn't demanded a trade?

Following LeBron James and Chris Bosh joining the Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony decided to force his way to New York. The Nuggets were coming off back-to-back strong seasons in which they went to the Western Conference Finals in 2009 and won 53 games the following year. Still, they appeared to have reached their ceiling, and something had to give.

Had Anthony not demanded a trade, he could have left the Nuggets in free agency in 2011. Or perhaps he might have re-signed with Denver, though they would have been stuck as a good, but not great, playoff team. Worse yet, Denver may not have been able to build their current championship roster. After all, the pick used to draft Jamal Murray was acquired in the trade that sent Anthony to the Knicks. Moreover, had Anthony stayed, the Nuggets might have traded the second-rounder that was used to draft Nikola Jokic.

The Nuggets also received a very good return for their best player, including getting back several rotation players such as Danilo Galinari, Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, and Timofey Mozgov. In fact, some of those players were later traded for additional picks, further aiding their rebuild post-Melo.

All in all, it seems clear that the Nuggets were better off trading Anthony rather than keeping him. In fact, they likely would have never won their first championship had they not done so.