While there is a lot of smoke around the fire that is Carmelo Anthony being traded to the Nets, the man himself threw some water on that after the Nuggets loss Sunday saying things were not moving as fast as it appears to everyone else.
Anthony wouldn’t say much when pressed about the trade rumors after the game, but he did answer a couple of questions, according to Chris Tomasson of FanHouse, starting with whether this was his last game as a Nugget:“Not at all. Not at all. Not at all. Not at all. Just not at all.’'
“I haven’t heard anything on that,’' Anthony said. “It’s just been speculation as of right now. Masai (Ujiri, Denver’s executive vice president of basketball operations) and Josh (Kroenke, the Nuggets president) are not even here (at Sunday’s game). I don’t see that happening.’'
He went on to say that he didn’t expect the trade to go down this week. If he does play for the Nuggets again Tuesday night at home against the Suns and Thursday night against the Heat, Nuggets fans can hope he puts up a better line than the 8 points and 4 rebounds he had Sunday against the Hornets.
Nuggets fans booed Anthony loudly Sunday, and that likely would only grow louder as the week wore on.
The proposed trade — which is not finalized — has Anthony, Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton going to the Nets; while Denver would get Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, Anthony Morrow, two first round picks, and some other stuff.
The hang-up has been the Pistons. They would give up Hamilton, who is owed $12.5 million next season, to take on the expiring deal of Troy Murphy this season. Denver and the Nets had wanted the Pistons to also take on Johan Petro contract ($10 million over the next three seasons) but they are trying to shed big contracts for bad players, so they said no. Figuring out where Petro goes seems to be the hold-up on the deal.
Well, that and Anthony. Until he tells the Nets face-to-face he’ll sign an extension with them everything will be on hold. And he doesn’t sound like he’s in a rush.