A Mavs dream team or a nightmare?

I have been hearing this rumor for a couple of weeks now, but recently I've been hearing it from more credible sources so I decided to pass it on. The rumor is this: Denver Nuggets superstar Carmelo Anthony will become, before this season is over, a Dallas Maverick.

Everyone who follows the NBA knows that Anthony wants out of Denver, but I have always heard the only team he is willing to be traded to is his hometown New York Knicks. Now, however, I'm hearing that Anthony is receptive to a deal that would bring him and his 22.8 points-per-game abverage to Dallas and send Caron Butler and Rodrigue Beaubois to Denver.

The upside of such a trade is obvious. Dallas not only becomes the favorite to win the Western Conference, but also one of the leading contenders to win the NBA title. I would put Dallas' starting lineup of Jason Kidd, DeShawn Stevenson, Carmelo Anthony, Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler against the starting five of any other team in the league.

The downside, however, is just as obvious. The Mavs would only have Anthony for this season and then he would become a free agent, when he definitely would sign with the Knicks. And the team would be giving up on the notion that Beaubois would have eventually become their Tony Parker.

However, I say get Anthony here, even though I have never forgiven him for single-handedly costing my beloved Texas Longhorns their best shot at an NCAA basketball championship. That starting five presents matchup nightmares for everyone.