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By the time Monday morning arrives, these furious final days of negotiations between Denver, Utah, Charlotte and New Jersey might indeed result in Carmelo Anthony becoming a member of the Nets.But according to two sources close to the situation, the Nuggets -- who stand to acquire Nets rookie forward Derrick Favors, Utah forward Andrei Kirilenko and two first-round draft picks from New Jersey in the deal -- are compromising the trade with their slow-moving ways.
No key figure is growing more impatient than Nets general manager Billy King, who is determined to get the deal done by Monday and unclear on why new Denver general manager Masai Ujiri is fielding calls from teams like Cleveland and Indiana that are attempting to get involved in the trade. Ujiri, who was an assistant general manager with the Raptors and just experienced the ill-fated Chris Bosh departure to Miami, is clearly attempting to exhaust more options before agreeing to the deal.
At this advanced stage of the talks however, it's a dangerous tactic.
Because it appears Anthony would sign the three-year, $65 million extension with the Nets that is certainly a precursor to their involvement, Denver's insistence on exploring other avenues while not tending more closely to the situation at hand means they could lose one of the few Anthony suitors who fits all the necessary qualifications. Only so many teams are realistically in the running for Anthony, of course, as his agreement to an extension is an obvious precursor to a deal. Sources say he has warmed to the notion of the Nets after the likes of New York, Chicago, the Clippers and perhaps even Houston were originally more preferable.
• Can Nuggets Afford to Wait?
• Ranking the Suitors
Secondly, the highly-publicized nature of the talks has increased the tensions for all involved, with the Nets, Bobcats and Jazz eager to finalize the trade so the uncomfortable situation doesn't loom over their current players' heads during training camp. The smart play for the Nuggets might well have been to quietly let the many 'Melo possibilities unfold, but their choice to travel this far down this road is making the pragmatic approach problematic.
It's unclear whether Charlotte would send point guard D.J. Augustin to the Nets in the deal, though they are pushing for help at the position in light of Devin Harris' planned exit to the Bobcats. Utah is expected to receive small forward Boris Diaw from Charlotte.
Numerous reports also have Utah acquiring Quinton Ross and the Bobcats getting Jarvis Hayes via sign-and-trade. The Nuggets' two first-round picks acquired would be from New Jersey (their 2011 pick and a 2012 pick from Golden State that is protected at spots one through seven).
E-mail Sam at amick.sam@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @samickAOL.
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