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Carmelo Anthony, as you no doubt have heard by now, is not going to be traded to the New Jersey Nets.

If you haven't, the news came down just a short while ago that the Nets have decided to call off their pursuit of Melo. Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov said that the entire situation has gotten to be "simply too expensive" and that he has instructed his team to "walk away from the deal."

The news is obviously still quite fresh, and it's probably not a very good idea to start drawing conclusions.

However, now that the one legitimate trade avenue has been closed, it is a pretty good idea to revisit all of Melo's prospects at the moment.

That's where people like SI.com's Ian Thomsen come in handy, as he has given as detailed account of all of Melo's options in the wake of the death of the New Jersey deal.

First and foremost, the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls are still very much in play as potential trade partners. If that doesn't work, things get complicated.

For one, the Nuggets can either choose to deal with the Nets on their terms, which likely means a lower price for Melo, or they can trade him as a rental, and that wouldn't yield much in return either.

The Nuggets could also hold on to Anthony, and make a playoff push. They could then move him during the trade window right that takes place near the NBA Draft.

As far as Melo is concerned, he could surrender by signing the contract extension (three years, $65million) that the team offered him before the start of the season. Or he could walk.

That second option is tricky, as the expiring collective bargaining agreement has put a lot of things up in the air. Thomsen points out that the new era is expected to be one of smaller salaries for fewer years. As such, it would be smarter for Melo to sign the Nuggets' offer while he still has the chance to make some big bucks.

So yeah, it's complicated. So once again, thanks to Thomsen for spelling it all out.

Related article: NBA Trade Rumors: 15 Bold Trade deadline Deals We'd Like to See Made

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NBA Trade Rumors: With Anthony Deal Off, Will Nets Go After Andrei Kirilenko?

Earlier on Wednesday, the New York Daily News reported that the New Jersey Nets did have a Plan B in the event that the Carmelo Anthony trade fell through.

That would be Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko. He is a free agent after this season, and is friends with Nets owner and fellow Russian Mikhail Prokhorov.

Well, it just so happens that the deal for Melo has indeed fallen through, as the word came down from the Denver Post just a short while ago that Prokhorov has ordered him team to give up the pursuit.

Well then, is it time for Plan B?

If so, then the good news for the Nets is that Kirilenko can probably be got much more cheaply than Melo. The bad news is that they're not getting Melo, not to mention Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton.

Stay tuned.

Related article: NBA Trade Rumors: 15 Bold Trade Deadline Deals We'd Love to See Made

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Carmelo Anthony has been rumored to be on his way to New Jersey to join the Nets for quite a while now.

But no longer. The news came down from the Denver Post just a few short minutes ago that the Nets have decided to call off their pursuit for Melo.

The command came straight from the top, as Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov said, "There comes a time when the price is simply too expensive. I'm instructing our team to walk away from the deal."

He also added, "It's been too long and too expensive."

Prokhorov also said that the face-to-face meeting he had scheduled with Melo for Thursday has been canceled.

On a surface level, it doesn't get much more definitive than this. After all, you're not going to come out and say "we're out of it" unless you're actually out of it.

But what if they're not? What if this is all a ploy to make Anthony and the Nuggets hurry up the process?

Well for one, this is a pretty drastic way to do so. And secondly, at least one of those parties is might just view this as decidedly good news. That would be Melo, who would obviously rather play in New York.

So yes, I daresay the Nets can be trusted in this instance.

But one way or another, it still seems unlikely that Melo is going to stay in Denver.

Related article: NBA Trade Rumors: 15 Bold Trade Deadline Deals We'd Love to See Made

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Carmelo Anthony will not be traded to the New Jersey Nets.

That's the latest breaking news, which has just been handed down from the Denver Post. The word is that Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov flew in to New Jersey from Russia today and ordered his team to give up the pursuit.

"There comes a time when the price is simply too expensive," he said in an afternoon news conference. "I'm instructing our team to walk away from the deal."

He also added, "It's been too long and too expensive."

The news has just broke, but one presumes that the Nuggets' desire to trade Melo isn't going to go away this easily. After all, the New York Knicks are still pretty desperate to add Melo, and it follows that the Nuggets would be ready to engage them in serious discussions.

But then again, this hasn't been the case so far this season, as the Nuggets seem to have been ignoring the Knicks' advances almost out of spite.

It was also reported by Yahoo! Sports earlier today that Anthony's representatives have reached out to the Chicago Bulls to try and convince them to get involved in the trade talks again.

So realistically, the Melo sweepstakes are either going to become a bidding war between the Knicks and Bulls, or this is the end.

Indeed, it really doesn't make any sense for Melo to stay in Denver. But it's looking right now like that's a very real possibility.

Related article: NBA Trade Rumors: 15 Bold Trade Deadline Deals We'd Like to See Made

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Carmelo Anthony: Will Knicks Trade for Melo With Nets Out of the Picture?

In case you haven't heard yet, which wouldn't be very surprising at this juncture, the New Jersey Nets have officially ended their pursuit of Denver Nuggets star forward Carmelo Anthony.

The word came down straight from the Denver Post, which is reporting that Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov has instructed his team to "walk away from the deal."

"It's been too long and too expensive," said Prokhorov.

He also insisted that this is his final decision, saying, "for sure."

Well then. So much for that. And despite the fact that this news is pretty sudden, you have to think that all sorts of doors have opened.

First and foremost, it makes sense that the folks in the New York Knicks front office are picking up the phones and putting in calls to Denver. After all, ESPN's Chris Sheridan reported a couple days ago that Knicks president Donnie Walsh thought he could arrange a couple of first round picks to dangle in front of the Nuggets, who have to this point been very hesitant to listen to any of their other offers.

With the deal to New Jersey officially (?) dead, it makes sense that the Nuggets will be more willing to hear the Knicks out.

We shall see.

Related article: NBA Trade Rumors: 15 Bold Trade Deadline Deals We'd Love to See Made

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NBA Trade Rumors: Carmelo Anthony Will Not Be Traded to New Jersey Nets

That headline is not a prediction. It is a fact.

Indeed, the word comes straight from the Denver Post, which states that Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov arrived in New Jersey today and said that the team was ending its pursuit of the Denver Nuggets star forward.

"There comes a time when the price is simply too expensive," he said during an afternoon news conference. "I'm instructing our team to walk away from the deal."

Prokhorov had a meeting with Anthony scheduled for Thursday, during which it was speculated they would discuss a contract extension. That meeting has been canceled.

And for the record, when asked if this was his final decision, he answered, "for sure."

"It's my own decision," Prokhorov said. "[The Nuggets] had a very good proposal. They probably did their best to protect their interests."

Meanwhile, the folks in the New York Knicks' front office are licking their chops.

More on this to come.

Related article: NBA Power Rankings Week 12

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NBA Trade Rumors: Is Stephen Jackson the Best Fit for the Dallas Mavericks?

The Dallas Mavericks are going to have to find a way to replace Caron Butler's production, who will miss the rest of the season after rupturing his patella tendon in his right knee.

One of the names floated by ESPN's Marc Stein as a good trade possibility is Stephen Jackson of the Charlotte Bobcats.

This makes sense. Jackson is experienced, and he brings plenty to the table. He's averaging 18.1 points per game, and is also pitching in 4.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.

However, he's going to be 33 in April, and he does have a contract that makes him a pretty hefty rental.

No doubt the Mavericks would rather bring in somebody like O.J. Mayo, who is of course much younger than Jackson. But the Grizzlies won't give him away for nothing. In fact, it will easily take more to get him than it would to get Jackson.

One way or another, the Mavs need to make a move. They've lost six in a row, and their only two wins this month were against Cleveland and Portland. In other words, it could get worse.

Related article: NBA Power Rankings Week 12

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NBA Trade Rumors: Should the Knicks Give Up On Melo and Target Someone Else?

The New York Knicks almost seem like they're more desperate to get Carmelo Anthony than the New Jersey Nets, who have had the framework of a deal for Melo in place for a while now.

Indeed, Knicks president Donnie Walsh said a couple days ago that he thinks he can round up a couple of first round picks to use in a deal for Anthony. But the Nuggets don't seem to be budging.

So at what point do the Knicks admit defeat? For all intents and purposes, probably not until after they see Melo in a New Jersey uniform, or after the trade deadline passes and Melo is still in Denver.

Or, they could go after somebody else. For example, why not get into the Andre Iguodala mix, or ask the Memphis Grizzlies what it would take to bring in O.J. Mayo?

If the idea is to add a scorer to a starting lineup that already features Amar'e Stoudemire and Raymond Felton, who should Melo be the only option?

Just throwing it out there.

Related article: NBA Power Rankings Week 1: Have the Miami Heat Forfeited Their Spot on Top?

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NBA Trade Rumors: Dallas Mavericks Not Interested in Al Harrington

The Dallas Mavericks may have been interested in F/C Al Harrington when he was a free agent this past offseason. But according to Marc Stein of ESPN, the Mavs are not interested in absorbing Harrington as part of the Carmelo Anthony trade.

Stein says that the Mavs have let the New Jersey Nets and Denver Nuggets know that they have no desire to take on Harrington's contract, which they could have conceivably acquired if they entered the Melo trade talks as the fourth team (along with the Detroit Pistons).

Apparently, the Mavericks would only take Harrington if they also got Melo as a rental.

Suffice it to say that's out of the question.

With Caron Butler out, it's more likely that's they'll push for somebody like O.J. Mayo, or maybe Stephen Jackson.

For more NBA goodness, check out our latest NBA Power Rankings for Week 12.

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NBA Trade Rumors: How Could Chicago Bulls Mix Up Carmelo Anthony Trade Talks?

The NBA rumor du jour came straight from Yahoo! Sports earlier this afternoon in a report that claimed that Carmelo Anthony's representatives have reached out to the Chicago Bulls in an effort to get them involved in the trade talks concerning the Denver Nuggets star forward.

With the proposed three-team deal between the Nuggets, the Detroit Pistons and the New Jersey Nets that would send Melo to New Jersey apparently lying dormant, it's hard to decipher exactly what Melo's reps are after with their decision to stir things up like this.

Are they actually trying to get the Bulls interested in Melo again, or are they trying to quicken the pace of the New Jersey transaction?

The latter idea actually seems more likely, as it's apparent that Anthony is sick of hearing about the trade. And for that matter, so is everyone else.

Regardless, it would seem that the Nets are still the most likely destination. If anything, the possibility of the Bulls getting involved probably lights a fire under the New York Knicks than anyone else. If they can't match what the Nets can offer, then they probably won't be able to match what the Bulls can offer either. As such, if they really want Melo, they will have to widen their gaze as far as finding a third team they can include in the deal, and a key player that the Nuggets actually want (i.e. not O.J. Mayo).

On balance, suffice it to say that things are even more interesting now. We shall see if this changes anything.

Related article: NBA Power Rankings Week 12

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NBA Trade Rumors: Which Team is the Best Fit for Steve Nash?

Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns are still technically in the playoff picture in the Western Conference. And the trade they made with the Orlando Magic that netted them Marcin Gortat, Mickael Pietrus, and Vince Carter seemed to signal that they're not going to concede anything quite yet.

No, sir. That will happen if and when they trade Steve Nash, a move that seemingly the whole world wants them to make.

As for which teams could use Nash, the list is pretty long.

The best fit of all is probably the Miami Heat. They could really use a point guard, and adding Nash to the mix would officially make their entire roster an unfair competitive advantage.

That being said, it's not going to happen. Not unless the Heat can pull some kind of Pau Gasol-to-the-Lakers magic.

Speaking of the Lakers, there have been some who have said Nash would look great in the Staples Center. And this is true.

But like the Heat, it's not going to happen.

Reuniting Nash with Mike D'Antoni and Amar'e Stoudemire in New York is an intriguing possibility, but it would seem right now that the Knicks are too distracted with Carmelo Anthony to put any thought into the deal.

The Dallas Mavericks would also probably love a reunion with Nash. They've slipped quite a bit in recent games, thanks in large part to Dirk Nowitzki's absence. But because it's hard to see the Suns agreeing to a Jason Kidd-for-Nash deal straight up, this is another long shot.

The Atlanta Hawks are another intriguing possibility. Mike Bibby is a nice option, but he's nowhere near Nash's level. Instead, a trio of Nash, Joe Johnson, and Josh Smith would easily spell headaches for the rest of the Eastern Conference, and maybe even a playoff upset or two.

But on balance, there are more speculative options than there are realistic options. Because of this, it just seems more likely that Nash will stay put.

For more on the Nash trade scenario, check out our list of 10 Title Contenders That Need Nash to Complete Puzzle.

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NBA Trade Rumors: Andrei Kirilenko Would Reportedly Prefer to Stay in Utah

There are a lot of names being tossed around by the NBA trade winds, but the one on everyone's mind is Carmelo Anthony. And more specifically, whether or not he will head to the New Jersey Nets as part of a three-team deal.

But if that deal falls apart, the word from the New York Daily News earlier on Wednesday is that the Nets could look to Utah Jazz small forward Andrei Kirilenko as a consolation prize. Like Anthony, he is a free agent at the end of the year. And unlike Anthony, he would be much cheaper, and he is already friends with Nets owner and fellow Russian, Mikhail Prokhorov.

The parallels are indeed interesting, but the report from the Sporting News is that Kirilenko isn't necessarily chomping at the bit to head to New Jersey.

"I've spent 10 years (with the Jazz)," Kirilenko told the Salt Lake Tribune. "That's worth a lot. We established so many connections. Not only basketball, but off the court."

In other words, it seems like he's not going to pressure the Jazz into making it happen. Yet another thing that he and Melo do not have in common.

Related article: Steve Nash Trade Rumors: 10 Title Contenders That Need Nash to Complete Puzzle

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NBA Trade Rumors: Do the Los Angeles Clippers Really Need to Make a Move?

The Los Angeles Clippers have been the subject of all sorts of trade buzz this season. First it was Baron Davis possibly moving to Charlotte, and more recently, Chris Kaman being put on the block.

But now that they've won 10 of their last 14, and are playing their best basketball in years, you have to wonder if it would be a good idea to mess with the team at all.

As a matter of fact, the core group of Davis, Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan, and of course, Blake Griffin, would appear to only be getting more comfortable as the season moves on. And they've shown in recent games that they can be dangerous against anyone, and that this little surge might not be a fluke.

In short, why mess with the picture as long as it's looking good?

No doubt the argument would be that a player like Kaman could fetch a decidedly more useful player in a given deal. And this is true. But let us not forget that Kaman was an All Star last year, and that he has been pretty productive this year when he was healthy.

So why not keep him, and just hope for good health?

One way or another, the Clippers aren't looking as hopeless as they usually are in recent days.

Related article: Steve Nash Trade Rumors: 10 Title Contenders That Need Nash To Complete Puzzle

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NBA Trade Rumors: Why the Chicago Bulls Should Make a Move on Carmelo Anthony?

Carmelo Anthony would look great in a Chicago Bulls uniform.

There, I just told you something that everyone knows, including the Bulls themselves. But for the first time in a while, there's a notion that this could very well become a reality.

The word came out from Yahoo! Sports barely over an hour ago that Melo's representatives have reached out to the Bulls, urging them to get involved in the trade fuss.

Given the reality that the proposed deal with the New Jersey Nets doesn't seems like it could fall apart completely at any given moment, as well as the fact that the Nuggets are in no hurry to make a deal with the New York Knicks, there will perhaps be no better time for the Bulls to get involved than right now.

And they should get involved.

After all, the general feeling about the Bulls is that they are undoubtedly poised to be a force in the Eastern Conference for years to come, but that they're not going to be able to contend with teams like the Celtics, Heat, and Magic for the conference championship this year.

Add Melo to the mix, and things immediately start to feel a little differently. Picturing Melo alongside Derrick Rose is downright scary. And combined with Carlos Boozer, the Bulls would have the best trio of stars in the NBA. Hands down.

As for what the Bulls would have to surrender, it's no secret that the Nuggets have coveted center Joakim Noah. Understandably, the Bulls have been very hesitant to trade him away, and the Nuggets haven't been willing to take Luol Deng and his big contract instead. And with Noah still on the shelf with his thumb injury, it might be hard to hammer out a trade involving him anyway.

Regardless, the Bulls could look to make something happen if they look in the mirror and realize that they are not a championship team as they are currently composed. And then it would just depend on how far they'd be willing to go to change that.

Related article: Kevin Love and the 15 Most Improved Players in the NBA

NBA Trade Rumors: Potential Fits for Anthony Randolph

Anthony Randolph hasn't seen much action with the New York Knicks this season, so it's pretty hard to blame the guy for requesting a trade a couple days ago.

At the time, ESPN's Chris Broussard reported that the Knicks were looking to trade Randolph for a first round pick sometime in the near future, and that Minnesota, Indiana, and Portland were the three most likely destinations.

Among those three, it seems likely that the Trail Blazers will emerge as the front runner with Marcus Camby set to undergo knee surgery later in the week.

As far as any other teams are concerned, it's hard to imagine any major contenders getting in the mix for Randolph's services. But you know what, given the Miami Heat's recent struggles and their notorious weakness at center, it perhaps wouldn't be all that surprising if they at least inquired about Randolph.

Related article: Should LeBron James Play Center More Often for the Miami Heat?