FINALLY.... CARMELO TRADED TO THE KNICKS

Finally, the foolishness is over....


Carmelo Anthony is headed to the Knicks and that could mean that Donnie Walsh is leaving.

James Dolan pulled the trigger on a blockbuster deal for Anthony, the Brooklyn-born All-Star forward, who for months was angling for an opportunity to join forces with Amar'e Stoudemire in New York.

The price was steep as the Knicks traded Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler and rookie center Timofey Mozgov to the Denver Nuggets. They also gave Denver $3 million in cash plus a 2014 first round pick and two second round picks the Knicks acquired from Golden State in last summer's sign-and-trade with David Lee.

The Knicks get Anthony - who as part of the deal will get a 3-year, $65M extension - Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Renaldo Balkman and Anthony Carter.

The deal was completed late Monday night when Dolan, the Chairman of Madison Square Garden, included Mozgov in the trade. The Nuggets had insisted on Mozgov while Walsh and head coach Mike D'Antoni felt the Knicks were giving up too much even without Mozgov in the trade.

While New York will be buzzing Wednesday when Anthony makes his Garden debut in a Knicks uniform, the trade will likely create massive upheaval in the front office.

Walsh, the Knicks president, was over-ruled on the trade by Dolan, who was being advised by Isiah Thomas. Walsh's contract expires in June and according to sources close to the 69-year-old basketball lifer, Walsh will walk away.

Incredibly, there were deals all throughout the NBA that were being held up essentially because of Mozgov. When informed Monday that he might be the most important player in the NBA as of this moment, Mozgov replied, "Thank you.

"You told me this," he added. "I didn't know that. I will know this. It's great. But I don't feel nothing about it."

There are reports that the Nuggets, after making any deal with the Knicks, could send Mozgov, along with another player, to the Nets for first-round picks. That would unite Mozgov with fellow Russian Mikhail Prokhorov, who owns the Nets.

While Prokhorov could end up with the two Knicks, Dolan won the border war, not only landing Anthony but keeping him out of New Jersey.

"This is Jim and the Russian and Jim does not want to lose to Prokhorov, which is why I think the Knicks will overpay for Carmelo," one league official said before the trade was completed. "It looks like they are both willing to overpay for him."