http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nba/news/story?id=6086165

Mark Cuban OK with rent-a-player

Updated: February 3, 2011, 2:15 PM ET

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban hasn't abadoned hope of trying to acquire All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony from the Denver Nuggets before the Feb. 24 trading deadline.

Reiterating comments he's made at various points over the past two months, Cuban told the New York Post that he's willing to rent a player -- not naming Anthony for fear of a league fine -- to put them over the top.

"Yeah, in a heartbeat. Because then it's up to me to try to convince them to stay," Cuban said Wednesday before the Mavs' game against the Knicks. "If everybody wants to give off a great player, we're always going to try to be opportunistic. But those calls typically aren't made. Those happen once every five years or so.

"I can't talk about other teams' players, but I'm always trying to be opportunistic. If someone wanted to offer me a perennial All-Star for a second-round pick, I'm going to say yes."

A deal between the Nuggets and New Jersey Nets for Anthony fell through last week, but the Knicks have been mentioned as a team highly interested in landing the forward. The Houston Rockets have come up as a team also willing to roll the dice on Anthony for the rest of the season.

Anthony is currently ninth in the league in scoring at 23.8 points per game, one spot ahead of Dirk Nowitzki (23.2). The Mavs have had a hole at small forward since Caron Butler was lost for the season with a knee injury. Brian Cardinal started at forward opposite Nowitzki on Wednesday, but played only 10 minutes and had three points and no rebounds.

The Mavericks recently signed Peja Stojakovic after he was released by the Raptors. He's been rehabbing a knee injury and hopes to return to the court Monday.

Meanwhile, Cuban jokingly said he's fine with the turmoil the Melo drama is creating for the Nuggets, who are currently sixth in the West.

"I feel bad for [new Nuggets owner] Josh Kroenke," Cuban said, according to the Post. "He just comes in to take over and all of a sudden he has to deal with all this. He'll figure it out. Anything that distracts other teams in our conference, that's good. I want every player and every other team to revolt."

TMS wrote:i dunno if he was being facetious or not when talking about a 2nd round pick for a perennial Allstar rental, but if that's what he & other GM's/owners are prepared to offer for a Melo rental then i don't think the Knicks have much to worry about

exactly

Moonangie wrote:Me either. But I still draw a definitive line in the sand at this deal:

Curry, Chandler, AR, Walker, $3mil

No Gallo, no Fields and no picks. Come the deadline, I reconsider on Walker and the cash.

I would greatly prefer to do other trades with the above players to fill needs and sign Melo in the summer. But that would be risky unless we had a tacit understanding with Melo and he was "in" on the plan (the non-collusional conspiracy to make the Knicks great).

Hopefully the Nuggs don't accept our trade offer and decide to ride out the season with Melo and cross-fingers for a S&T this summer. But if they were smart, they'd take that deal. It's the best they'll get, notwithstanding Chandler's RFA status. He DOES want to get paid and the Nuggs will have plenty of cash to spend and the right to match.

We should be able to find a taker for Turiaf (must be renounced) and Buke's (paid by insurance) expiring deals, perhaps a three-team that gets us a C and/or a backup PG.

I want this team next season:

Moz
Amare/Gallo/Williams
Melo/Gallo/Williams
Fields/TD
Felton/TD

That's eight guys who make up MDA's rotation and form the core. We can add pieces to it as we go along, through the draft or FA or whatever the new CBA allows.

I predict a chip in 5 years or less (barring unforeseeable injuries).

i'm with u i'd still try & work out a trade if i can that won't gut our roster & try to get him here this year... i think if we come out of a trade by holding onto Fields & 1 other young player out of Wilson, Gallo or AR we make out great... we can take our chances & wait it out til free agency but u never know what will happen from now to then... Melo's obviously concerned about the new CBA, so he might sign that extension w/Denver at the 11th hour... or if the new CBA includes a franchise player tag, they can slap it on Melo & he's theirs for the rest of 2011... i don't see any other available player that comes close to the kind of impact i think Melo would have on this roster.

Melo and Dirk complement each other, and I know Dirk would play great with Melo. Plus you got Kidd to distribute the rock, the ice, the dope; forget about this.

ramtour420 wrote:

orangeblobman wrote:Melo is crazy, he should be asking to go to the Mavs, not the Knicks. Melo on the Mavs = instant championship. This year.

Melo and Dirk complement each other, and I know Dirk would play great with Melo. Plus you got Kidd to distribute the rock, the ice, the dope; forget about this.

Sorry couldn't resist:

M. Cuban- "Melo come join us, we are pretty good, Dirk plays nice with others !"

Haha, absolutely.

But more like, "Dirk is the man, one of the unsung superstars of our time, a living legend; play with this man and see the great heights we can reach together."