Nets+Set+to+Meet+With+'Melo,+Hope+to+Speed+Up+Trade+Talks

__Nets Set to Meet With ‘Melo, Hope to Speed up Trade Talks__ By Joseph Natale

Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News reported Wednesday that the Nets have officially been granted permission by the Denver Nuggets to talk to Carmelo Anthony regarding his potential future with the team. This would otherwise be in violation of the NBA’s policy on talking to players of other teams while they are still on that team. This is just another tidbit of news adding to the plot of the Nets and their recent “Melo Drama”.

When asked about the possibility of talks, Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov said that the talks would “really help us get where we need to go here”. Prokhorov, and the Nuggets for that matter, are perhaps being more pressed to get this deal done now that the NBA’s February 24th Trade Deadline quickly approaches. Negotiations regarding the deal have been going on for the past three weeks and now that it appears to be in its final stages, these last talks may be the missing piece needed to complete the puzzle that is getting Carmelo Anthony in a Nets uniform.

With the Denver Nuggets organization themselves, OK’ing talks between the Nets and their franchise superstar, it would appear that the team is cooperating quite well, aiding speculation that it is the all-star himself who is reluctant to come to Jersey. Thomas Williams of the Denver Post though reports that Carmelo wants a deal to get done, and that it is the Nuggets who “will remain reluctant throughout until they get exactly what they want in exchange”. With a three team deal in place that would send much value headed the Colorado team’s way, they might just crack after these talks.

And while the Nets continue to lose, (They have 10 wins on the season), whether they get their wishes for Anthony fulfilled or not, the only way to go is up from here. The Nuggets however, with their winning record of 23-17, don’t want any of this Carmelo saga to get in the way of what they are trying to accomplish this year. That is why, according to Tom Ziller of SB Nation, the Nuggets coach won’t sacrifice anything in the spirit of the recent “distraction”, as he puts it, that Anthony has been causing his team. After the Nuggets last practice before they play host to the Oklahoma City Thunder Wednesday night, coach George Karl firmly stood by this report, citing that “’Melo has been very distracted lately. I don’t know if it’s because of the trade talks, or whatever. All I know is that if he’s playing distracted, I can’t play him in as many minutes”.

It would appear that the distraction caused by this dramatic anticipation of a trade has stretched its way across the nation, spreading from New Jersey to Denver. Based on this report though, the longer we wait for this deal to get done, the more both of these franchises and the NBA in general, will hurt. Hopefully Prokhorov and the rest of the Nets upper management will put their bid in effectively when they talk to Anthony this week. For as the Russian billionaire put it best, “We, (The Nets), must get our guy, and get him quickly”. Well Mikhail…from your mouth to Denver’s ears!