Denver made an eye-opening move Monday night, giving away All-Star center Marcus Camby to the Clippers for a second-round pick that it might never receive.
Could this mean the Nuggets are on the verge of making a big trade, say shipping Carmelo Anthony to the Pistons? It doesn't look that way.
This was simply a move to appease an owner who didn't want to pay the league's dollar-for-dollar luxury tax. The Nuggets were hamstrung by a number of bad contracts. No one wanted to pick up an overpaid player like Kenyon Martin or Nene. Camby had value and the Clippers were a natural fit after they lost Elton Brand and fell under the salary cap, which allowed them to acquire Camby.
The most striking thing about this move: What kind of message does this send to the rest of the Nuggets? If you're Carmelo or Iverson, you know management is more worried about the bottom line than winning.