After nearly six months of pursuing Carmelo Anthony, countless phone calls, text messages, trade proposals, counteroffers and acrimonious times the Nets are close to landing the four-time All-Star small forward – finally.

RECORD FILE PHOTO/CHRIS PEDOTA
It's all up to Carmelo Anthony now. The Nets and Nuggets have reached a tentative agreement on a deal involving Anthony, multiple NBA sources told The Record. The deal is pending Anthony agreeing to sign a three-year, $65 million contract extension.

If Anthony says yes, the Nets will get Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Sheldon Williams, Melvin Ely and Renaldo Balkman from the Nuggets. In turn, the Nets will send Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, Troy Murphy, Ben Uzoh and four first-round picks to Denver.

The Nets won’t do the trade unless Anthony agrees to the extension. They’re expected to meet with him during this All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles to try and convince him to join them.

Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov, general manager Billy King, CEO Brett Yormark and part-owner Jay-Z are in Los Angeles and likely will meet with Anthony to try and sell him on the future of the franchise and the move to Brooklyn.

If Anthony rejects the Nets, the Knicks are expected to be the frontrunners to land him. The Nets then would pursue other deals, including one that would send Harris to Portland for Andre Miller, but would involve other players.

This agreement is tentative because some things still need to be worked out. One would be where Murphy and his expiring contract end up. The Nuggets want to trade him, perhaps to Cleveland, and may need a draft pick or two to entice teams to take Murphy, who has hardly played this season.

That’s one of the reasons the Nets are including four first-round picks to get Anthony. It’s the Nets' pick this year as well as the Lakers', which is protected 1-through-18, and Houston’s and Golden State’s next year. Both have varying degrees of protection so there is no guarantee the Nets would have used them next year either.

The Nets basically acquired these picks to put themselves in position to acquire a player of Anthony’s magnitude if he became available.

But the biggest thing this is contingent upon is Anthony agreeing to play in Newark for a little less than a season and a half – or less if there is a lockout next season. Anthony’s first choice is to play for New York, but the Nets will be in Brooklyn beginning the 2012-13 season. Anthony is from Brooklyn.

When they meet with him, the Nets likely will pitch him on their global reach with Prokhorov’s influence, and the fact they’re building a franchise around Anthony in his hometown.

Last month, Prokhorov pulled the Nets out of talks for Anthony when they were close to reaching an agreement on a three-team trade that included the Pistons. On Jan. 19, Prokhorov stopped the talks and cancelled a meeting with Anthony for the next day.

But the Nuggets called the Nets earlier this week and they re-engaged in conversations. The Nets also had the most to offer and were willing to give up assets and provide Denver some salary-cap and luxury-tax relief to get Anthony.

He is a marketable star with whom they can open Brooklyn and could help them attract Chris Paul. But everything is contingent upon Anthony say yes to Prokhorov and the Nets.

posted this in one of the 5,000 other threads, but it applies here:

Now we see how much Melo wants to be a Knick - that's the only hope the Knicks have left, they CANNOT top that ridiculous package the Nets are offering.

If Melo wants to come to the Knicks, now is his time to flex the "No extension to anyone but the Knicks" card.

OjilEye wrote:I have faith that Melo knows that the Nets are a bottom cellar-dwelling franchise and would have considerably less assets to work with than if he joined the Knicks in MSG with Amare. I mean, seriously. If Melo goes to the Nets, they're not making the playoffs. And Russian playboy or no Russian playboy you ain't going to have a global empire if you can't win.

What the NEts WERE and what they can be are two stories.

Last ten years Nets record better than knicks.

MSG3 wrote:

Nalod wrote:

OjilEye wrote:I have faith that Melo knows that the Nets are a bottom cellar-dwelling franchise and would have considerably less assets to work with than if he joined the Knicks in MSG with Amare. I mean, seriously. If Melo goes to the Nets, they're not making the playoffs. And Russian playboy or no Russian playboy you ain't going to have a global empire if you can't win.

What the NEts WERE and what they can be are two stories.

Last ten years Nets record better than knicks.

If Melo goes there it is ALL about the money. I don't think he's going to give in. He's coming here.

Nets have two more picks and likely cap room to sign Dwight.

I've been warning dudes for months to not take the Russian lightly.

Markji wrote:If this trade happens then the Nets have a pretty good starting 5 and possibilities to sign players in the offseason

PG - Billups
SG - Morrow
SF - Melo
PF - Humphries
C - Brook Lopez

Maybe we could still trade with Denver for Nene?

getting the feeling that Denver won't trade with us.

Donnie: "Are you guys rebuilding now? What's your price for Nene?"

Denver: " We need at least Felton, Gallinari, Chandler, Fields, AR, and uhhh... four first rounders. And we need you to take Al Harrington's contract off our hands."

Donnie: **sighs. hangs up**

Markji wrote:If this trade happens then the Nets have a pretty good starting 5 and possibilities to sign players in the offseason

PG - Billups
SG - Morrow
SF - Melo
PF - Humphries
C - Brook Lopez

Maybe we could still trade with Denver for Nene?

Really only if they don't pick up Billups option. Otherwise they can't add anyone of signifigance.