Nets move closer to landing Anthony

The final significant hurdle for a blockbuster four-team trade that would send Carmelo Anthony(notes) to the New Jersey Nets hinges on the All-Star forward’s willingness to agree to a contract extension with the Nets, and the All-Star forward was progressing toward acceptance of that scenario on Friday night, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.
Anthony is unhappy with the Nuggets' instability.
(Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

Agents William Wesley and Leon Rose, who represent Anthony for CAA, have been advocates for Anthony to agree to sign a $65 million contract extension with the Nets. Denver, New Jersey Charlotte and Utah have worked out many of the details of an elaborate multi-player trade, but ultimately nothing can happen without Anthony’s willingness to commit long-term to the Nets.
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While Denver management hadn’t signed off on the proposed deal, sources with knowledge of the Nuggets’ plans believe that will likely happen over the weekend and move the onus onto Anthony.

The Nuggets would receive rookie power forward Derrick Favors, the third pick in the 2010 draft, Utah’s Andrei Kirilenko, who has an expiring contract, and two future first-round picks from the Nets. The picks include New Jersey’s 2011 first-rounder and the 2012 pick the Nets own from the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors’ pick would include some kind of a lottery protection.

The Nets would also send point guard Devin Harris to the Bobcats, who would move forward Boris Diaw to the Jazz. Nets guard Quinton Ross also would be sent to the Nuggets.

Once Anthony made it clear that he will become a free agent in the summer of 2011, and the Nuggets needed to find a trade for him, the organization decided it wanted an array of draft picks, a talented young player and expiring contracts in return. While Denver officials have considered waiting for Anthony to report to training camp, Anthony and his reps have told the Nuggets for most of the past two months he won’t re-sign and wants a trade to New York or Chicago. As it turns out, New Jersey could well turn out to the compromise choice.

One more potential hindrance to the trade is the Nets want point guard D.J. Augustin from the Bobcats to help offset the loss of Harris, league sources said. So far, Charlotte has shown a reluctance to part with the young point guard in this trade. Still, sources say this won’t be a deal-breaker for the Nets.

New Jersey desperately wants Anthony, 26, to become the face of its franchise as it prepares to make a move to a new Brooklyn arena in 2013. The Nets have reshaped the franchise under new Russian billionaire owner, Mikhail Prokhorov. They have resources unmatched in the NBA and will move out of the decrepit Meadowlands arena and into the state-of-the-state Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., this season. The Nets are likely to spend two years in Newark before moving to New York.