Carmelo Anthony trade: Can New Jersey Nets offer Nuggets more than either Knicks, Bulls?

By Michael Roberts Fri., Oct. 22 2010 at 8:59 AM

Categories: Follow That Story, Sports

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Carmelo.

The extended period of quiet over a Carmelo Anthony trade following the collapse of a deal with New Jersey is over.

Not only are the Knicks back in the hunt, with a little reported help from Spike Lee, but now, both the Chicago Bulls and, yes, the Nets are reportedly feeling pressure to make a move.

There are new stories out of Chicago that the Bulls would still consider parting with Luol Deng, Taj Gibson and a draft pick to obtain Melo's services. Meanwhile, the New York Post's Peter Vecsey has just published a column practically begging the Nets -- or, is he frequently refers to them, the Nyets -- to return to the Anthony sweepstakes.

Along the way, Vescey knocks down suggestions that Derrick Favors, who the Nets selected with the third pick in this year's draft, is no longer available even as he belittles other rumblings:

Contrary to a fictitious ESPN (and Newsday) report that contended the Knicks had made "significant progress" in trade talk for 'Melo, and that the Nyets had removed Party Favors from the table, the draft's third pick can still very much be had... along with free agents-to-be Troy Murphy ($11.968M) and/or Chris Humphries ($3.2M).

Vescey's also got this to say about the potential of Devin Harris being part of the package:

Except for several minor details; it's virtually impossible for the Knicks (or Bulls) to top the Nyets in terms of presenting alluring first-round draft choices to the Nuggets. New Jersey is offering this June's unprotected slot as well as the Warriors' real estate, protected through five.
Additionally, the Nyets, using Harris, can fix it so a crisply recruited collaborator rewards the Nuggets with a select small forward and maybe even a third No. 1 pick.

Granted, Vescey isn't the Nets' GM. But if he's right about the Nets' increasing desperation to improve their shaky fortunes, the Nuggets can take advantage in a big way. But they've got to act fast if they want to prevent a second potential trade with the Nets to drift away like the first one did.

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