Knicks Acquire Four-Time All-Star Carmelo Anthony

NEW YORK, Feb. 23, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that the team has acquired four-time All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony, who was signed to a contract extension prior to the trade, and five-time All-Star guard Chauncey Billups in a three-team, 13-player trade with the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves. The trade also sent guard Anthony Carter and forwards Renaldo Balkman and Shelden Williams from Denver and swingman Corey Brewer from Minnesota to New York. New York has traded forwards Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari, guard Raymond Felton, center Timofey Mozgov, a future first-round draft selection, two future second-round draft selections (originally acquired from Golden State on Jul. 9, 2010) and cash and future draft considerations to Denver, and has sent center Eddy Curry, forward Anthony Randolph and cash considerations to Minnesota. Minnesota acquired a future second round draft selection from Denver and Denver acquired Kosta Koufos from Minnesota. Madison Square Garden, Inc. (Nasdaq:MSG) owns the Knicks.

"At 26 years old, Carmelo is in the prime of his NBA career having already established himself as a one of the game's elite players and the opportunity to add him to our roster was one we could not pass up," Walsh said. "I feel we now have a great frontcourt tandem in Amar'e and Carmelo and this is an exciting day for the New York Knicks and all our fans. It is extremely difficult to trade away players, but we feel like the team is in better position to win and we have excellent players to build around for years to come."

Anthony, 6-8, 230-pounds, has career averages of 24.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 564 career games (564 starts) in seven seasons with the Denver Nuggets. The Brooklyn, NY-native was selected by the Nuggets with the third overall selection in the 2003 NBA Draft following his freshman season at Syracuse University, where he led the Orangemen to their first national championship in 2003 and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. A four-time All-NBA selection and four-time NBA All Star, Anthony has averaged at least 20 points in each of his seven NBA seasons and earned an Olympic Gold Medal with Team USA in the 2008 games in Beijing. Anthony has averages of 25.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 50 games with Denver this season.