http://www.nj.com/nets/index.ssf/2011/01/nets_deal_for_carmelo_anthony.html
Nets' deal for Carmelo Anthony on hold after new wrinkle
The seemingly inevitable mega-deal that was supposed to send Carmelo Anthony to the Nets is in a holding pattern, as the Nets and Denver Nuggets try to figure out what to do about the Nuggets’ attempt to include Al Harrington.
The Nets, who had thought they had reached an agreement Sunday that would have landed them Anthony in a three-team, 13-player deal that would have also brought Denver’s Chauncey Billups and Detroit’s Richard Hamilton to New Jersey, are hoping the Nuggets reconsider and leave Harrington out of the mix. The Nuggets are thinking maybe the Nets can find a fourth team who will take Harrington if the Nets don’t want him.
ESPN.com reported Monday that Harrington, the 6-9 Roselle native, St. Patrick’s grad and ex-Knick, was the roadblock that stopped the deal from being completed Sunday night. Harrington, 30, has four years and $26.3 million remaining on his contract after this season. He would also complicate the deal because he would add to the salary the Nets would be absorbing, and the Nets would have to move about $3 million back the other way to make it work.
The Nets had hoped to complete the trade by Monday, because they are boarding a flight after today’s practice to Phoenix, where they play the Suns on Wednesday.
In the proposed deal, the Nets would be sending Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, Anthony Morrow, Stephen Graham, Quinton Ross, Ben Uzoh and two first-round picks to Denver, and Troy Murphy and Johan Petro to Detroit. In return the Nets would get back Anthony, Billups, Hamilton, and Denver’s Shelden Williams and Anthony Carter. The Nuggets also wouldn’t mind throwing Renaldo Balkman in there somehow.
With eight players leaving the fold, the Nets would have just five healthy, available players until the new players become eligible to play, which would not happen until all the players pass physicals for their new teams. Per league rules, they would need a minimum of eight players in uniform in order to play, and would have to sign players to 10-day contracts to fill out the roster if the new players were not to arrive in time.
With all that swirling around when the Nets began practice Monday, coach Avery Johnson gathered the group before practice to remind them that they are with the Nets, until further notice, and they needed to practice hard and play hard as such.
“He said ‘Until I tell you you’re traded, come and do your job,’’’ forward Kris Humphries said.
Humphries and Jordan Farmar — neither of whom have been mentioned in the trade reports — were the only two players to speak to reporters, as the Nets did not make available anyone whose name had been included in the speculation.
Humphries was asked if practice was uncomfortable, with players who are supposed to be staying, looking around at all the ones who are supposed to be going.
“I think when you think about that, you’ve just got to play as hard as you can every day and enjoy the guys in the time we spend,’’ he said. “We’ve been doing a lot of team dinners and stuff like that — just enjoy being around the guys. They may not be there the next day.’’
Johnson said he expected the group that practiced Monday to be on the flight to Phoenix today.
“When and if we decide to make a trade, we’ll announce it,’’ Johnson said. “We don’t have anything to announce, except this is our team, and this is who we’re taking to Phoenix.’’