Even if the New Jersey Nets do not acquire Carmelo Anthony, they still might pull off a trade with the Denver Nuggets, one that would likely be a sore spot for their cross-river rivals in New York, according to high-ranking league officials.
If the New York Knicks send Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler and Timofey Mozgov to Denver for Anthony, the Nets are in discussions to then acquire either Gallinari, Felton or Chandler plus Mozgov for two first-round draft picks.
That deal is obviously contingent upon the Knicks trading all those players to Denver for a package headlined by Anthony and Chauncey Billups.
The Nets remain confident that they can acquire Anthony before the deadline, but if he instead is obtained by the Knicks, they see this trade as an alternative way to strengthen their team, the sources said.
The move could also burn the Knicks, who are reluctant to part with so many of their coveted young prospects, even for a player of Anthony’s ability. To see a couple of them opening the Nets new arena in Brooklyn could certainly be bothersome to the Knicks franchise.
Landing Mozgov (and then trading him to New Jersey) would be a huge coup for Denver, since it would enable it to get the draft picks it desires, along with some of the Knicks’ young talent, along with a savings of roughly $20 million this season.
