Carmelo Anthony Trade Rumors: The New Jersey Nets Are Wasting Their Time

The latest rumors in the Carmelo Anthony trade saga involve a three team trade between the Denver Nuggets, the New Jersey Nets and the Detroit Pistons.

In this deal, the Nets would get Anthony and Chauncey Billups from Denver and Rip Hamilton from Detroit. Detroit would take Troy Murphy and Johan Petro from New Jersey and the Nuggets would get a package of players headlined by Devin Harris and Derrick Favors.

Though this deal is close in terms of logistics, it's not close realistically. There are still two major factors working against this budding mega-deal.

Pistons don't want Petro

The Detroit Pistons have agreed to be the third team facilitator to a Nets-Nuggets trade. But, while it makes sense for them to be involved in a Murphy-Hamilton swap, they are balking at the idea of taking on Petro as well.

The Pistons want to get rid of Hamilton's salary burden, but they want to do it in the cheapest way possible.

I expect them to hold up this trade until the Nets quit pushing Petro on them.

Detroit holds a lot of power in this trade scenario, as the Nuggets and Nets need the Pistons in order for this trade to be viable.

Carmelo Anthony won't play in New Jersey

Even if the teams work out a deal that they are happy with, this trade is never going to happen.

The Nets are only going to agree to the trade if Melo agrees to sign an extension with the team, something that will never happen.

Melo is going to play for the Knicks in 2012. That is all but set in stone.

Therefore, the Nets are wasting their time and everyone else's time by trying to work out a trade for Anthony.

How will the rest of the year play out?

Even though nothing is going to happen, expect plenty of speculation about where Melo will end up playing after the trade deadline.

But, Melo will finish the season playing where he started the season, with the Denver Nuggets.

Then, in the offseason, he'll sign with the Knicks and make them a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference.

The Nets have no chance of getting Carmelo Anthony.