In a move that could presage the end game of the long Carmelo Anthony trade saga, New York Knicks owner James Dolan has entered into direct negotiations with Denver Nuggets' brass in an effort to secure the All-Star forward, reports the New York Daily News.
According to the Daily News account, Knicks president Donnie Walsh has maneuvered the team into position to land Anthony, but it remains to be seen if the talks between Dolan and Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke will be the final piece of the puzzle that brings Amare Stoudemire a high caliber running mate.
Another key factor in the deal making process seems to be a man that most Knicks fans remember in an unfavorable light: Isiah Thomas. Thomas, once the Knicks' President of Basketball Operations, left to coach the basketball team at Florida International University after several unsuccessful seasons in the Big Apple. However, he remains close to Dolan and has ties to William Wesley, A.K.A. "World Wide Wes," an agent for CAA whose extensive ties in the professional basketball world give him considerable influence over some of the league's biggest stars, including Anthony.
One of Wesley's current clients is Mark Warkentien, whom Dolan just made the Knicks director of player personnel. Allan Houston, a special assistant to Walsh, is also a Wesley client.
At this point, there have been almost too many stops and starts in the Anthony trade talks to keep up with, but Dolan's appearance on the stage at this late date may indicate that a deal really might not be far away.
