BALKMAN HEADS TO NUGGETS
The Denver Nuggets acquired forward Renaldo Balkman and cash considerations from the New York Knicks for guard Taurean Green, forward Bobby Jones and a second-round draft pick in 2010.
What does it give the Denver Nuggets
Balkman is an energy guy is the purest sense of the word. He doesn't have much of an offensive game to speak of, but could work his way into the Nuggets' regular rotation. It certainly won't hurt to have someone around that hustles for loose balls and attacks the boards. A solid pickup for Denver, especially since they lost a similar player this off-season in Eduardo Najera to the Nets.
What does it give the New York Knicks
The Knicks get a little more roster clarity here. Newsday reports they'll simply release both Green and Jones (who were only included for the financials), leaving the team with 15 active players, the league limit. Balkman was fairly well-liked by MSG fans because of his personality and playing style, but erstwhile team boss Isiah Thomas probably never should have used a first-round pick on him. He was just pushed further down the depth chart when the Knicks selected forward Danilo Gallinari in June, especially with new head coach Mike D'Antoni coveting skill-first players.
Fantasy impact
