Report: Melo approves extension with Nets!!!

[BOBCATS_BALL!]

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/09/report-carmelo-anthony-approves-extension-with-nets-clearing-way-for-trade.php

Hell yea! This was the big hurdle, looks like we might have our PG!!

It appears to have come down to this -- if Carmelo Anthony approves a three-year, $65 million (or similar) contract extension with the New Jersey Nets, a complex four-team trade will go forward.

According to one report, he has.

New York Daily News Nets beat writer Stefan Bondy tweeted this Friday evening:

Reliable source: Carmelo has approved the deal to the Nets.

The deal could go down as early as tomorrow.

Take that with a grain of salt, but not a big one. Word is that William "Worldwide" Wesley -- backroom powerbroker for Anthony's agent and CAA -- has been pushing Anthony to take the deal. You'd be foolish to think new Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov also has not been in contact with Anthony.

Anthony has through the weekend to approve the extension and for the deal to go ahead, or the entire thing falls apart. Nobody wants this hanging over their head going in to camp next week

The trade would break down like this: Anthony would go to New Jersey along with DJ Augustin; No. 3 pick Derrick Favors, Andrei Kirilenko and the Nets first round pick (formerly Golden State's, top seven protected) and maybe more going to Denver; Charlotte getting point guard Devin Harris; while Boris Diaw would end up in Utah. Utah would do this because they would get $5 million under the luxury tax threshold with the salary savings.

There would likely be other parts. And a lot of things could fall out, but reports are that it really comes down to Anthony accepting an extension with New Jersey.

It will mean a step back this year -- Denver with Melo would be a better team then New Jersey with Melo will be. For now. But Denver seems unable to get over the hump in the West and the Nets would be a building team in the East with Melo and Brook Lopez, plus a new billionaire Russian owner. Plus they will be in New York in two years.

Is that enough? Apparently so, but we wait for confirmation.

[nfcchamp2004]

M.J. is second guessing on whether or not to give up DJ. Hope he doesn't and we get ourselves an All Star caliber starting PG. I know it is not CP3 who we all wanted, but this fills a big need if the trade goes down.

[BOBCATS_BALL!]

M.J. is second guessing on whether or not to give up DJ. Hope he doesn't and we get ourselves an All Star caliber starting PG. I know it is not CP3 who we all wanted, but this fills a big need if the trade goes down.

Who cares about DJ if we can get D Harris?? Its not even a deal breaker.

From Woj

The Nets want DJ Augustin as part of package, but two sources in process say it won’t be a deal-breaker to keep them from getting ’Melo.

[tarheelblue89]

I'll wait for the mothership to report this

[Zaximus]

Yeah it's not official yet. Yeah, we shouldn't get tangled up on giving up DJ. That's kind of odd considering LB hates him it seems like. While I like DJ and he was nasty from the arch at the end of last year, Devin Harris is huge, and Livingston will be a good backup.

We need to take this, if we don't, some other team will.