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Fansided

14 Players the Denver Nuggets gave up on way too soon

By Tyler Watts

DENVER, CO - JANUARY 21: Carmelo Anthony #15 of the Denver Nuggets looks on during a break in the action against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Pepsi Center on January 21, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. The Lakers defeated the Nuggets 107-97. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - JANUARY 21: Carmelo Anthony #15 of the Denver Nuggets looks on during a break in the action against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Pepsi Center on January 21, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. The Lakers defeated the Nuggets 107-97. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /
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Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets, Carmelo Anthony (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

1. Carmelo Anthony

The Nuggets drafted Melo with the third overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. They were tied with the Cavaliers for the worst record in the NBA, but the Grizzlies jumped up in the lottery, which meant the Pistons picked second because of a trade.

Denver was ecstatic to get Melo, and he scored 21.0 points and was an immediate starter as a rookie as the 6’7 forward helped the Nuggets snap an eight-year playoff drought.

It only got better from there. He was a three-time All-Star in Denver as he averaged nearly 25 points per game over his eight seasons with the team and helped them to the conference finals in 2009. The Nuggets decided against building on that team, and Melo was traded to the Knicks in February 2011.

Anthony talked about not wanting to leave Denver on the All The Smoke podcast, but he felt like the Nuggets could not put the pieces around him to compete for a championship. Hear what the future Hall of Famer had to say about leaving the Nuggets below.

Carmelo made six All-Star appearances with the Knicks, and he continued to be one of the league’s best scorers for six more years after leaving Denver. The Nuggets should have done more to keep him and found ways to build around the superstar forward.

The Denver Nuggets have made plenty of front-office mistakes during their 48 seasons in the NBA, and there are more to come. Can they win another title with Nikola Jokic? It will be fascinating to watch, so stay tuned.

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