Renaldo Balkman was, by all accounts, included in the Carmelo Anthony trade only as a sweetener for the Denver Nuggets. That's a bit opposite to the common definition of a "trade sweetener," as the term usually refers to an asset that makes something toxic a bit easier to swallow. But Balkman went from the Nuggets to the New York Knicks. So how does he sweeten the deal for Denver? The Nuggets wanted to get out from under his small but annoying contract; he's due $5 million through 2012-13.
Renaldo Balkman Traded Back To Knicks, Where He Might Actually Matter Again
That's peanuts in today's NBA; heck, the Knicks sent out more than that in cash -- $6 million split between the Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves -- in Monday's trade. But every dollar matters when it comes to the luxury tax, and by including Balkman, Denver snuck under the threshold. The Nuggets will now not owe any luxury tax, and will receive the pay-out from those teams who do.
On the court, Balkman produced next to nothing for the Nuggets; he simply wasn’t afford an opportunity for minutes over the past season and a half. Balkman has played all of 135 minutes since signing his three-year extension in the summer of 2009; that extension didn’t go into effect until this season, as Balkman remained on his rookie deal in 2009-10. In the last season and a half, Balman has scored a grand total of 27 points, or roughly what each of ‘Melo and Amar’e Stoudemire average per game.
But opportunity could await in New York. Balkman was actually useful as a Knick after Isiah Thomas infamously made the South Carolina product the No. 20 pick in 2006; he's reputed as a solid defender and fleet of foot in the open court. But his opportunity in New York may have more to do with roster holes. The Knicks, remember, traded half their roster. That's not an exaggeration -- four players went to Denver, and two more went to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Balkman is one of the few (other than 'Melo) returning to the Knicks who can play both forward position, where the loss of Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler will hurt the most. Losing Timofey Mozgov also means Stoudemire will likely play more center, leaving a forward hole.
Corey Brewer, picked up from the Wolves, should get dibs on small forward minutes behind 'Melo unless he's traded. Landry Fields and Shawne Williams will share minutes at shooting guard, and will also fight for scraps behind 'Melo. But Balkman's versatility and defense, the latter in incredibly short supply in New York, could come in handy. At the very least, you'd expect he'd play more in New York than Denver, given that you can't play less than "never."
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