In a swap that was being finalized Tuesday, the Nuggets dealt their two most popular players along with three backups to the New York Knicks for a package of four young players, three draft picks and cash in a megadeal that reshapes both franchises.
Karl said he was relieved the Anthony trade saga was finally over but lamented the loss of Billups, who led the Nuggets to the Western Conference finals two years ago after he was acquired from the Detroit Pistons.
"I can't deny that when the trade went down last night, I was kind of more sad than happy," Karl said after his team's short-handed shootaround Tuesday. "I think most of that sadness was because of Chauncey -- and A.C. a little bit, too."
The blockbuster trade would also send Anthony Carter, Shelden Williams and Renaldo Balkman to New York for Wilson Chanlder, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, three draft picks and cash.
Considering the Nuggets could have lost Anthony to free agency without any compensation after the season, that kind of haul led Karl to exclaim that the new front office team of Masai Ujiri and Josh Kroenke "hit a home run the first time up."
With the newcomers not expected to arrive and take their physicals until Wednesday, the Nuggets had just nine players available for their game against Memphis on Tuesday night, only seven of whom participated in the shootaround, with assistant coaches chipping in to make it 5-on-5.
Although the trade leaves the Nuggets with a leadership void, Karl insisted Denver will make the playoffs this season and predicted they might even do something they did just once in seven trips to the playoffs with Anthony: advance out of the first round.
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