NEWARK, January 20 – Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov said Wednesday he had pulled the plug on the long drawn out talks to bring Carmelo Anthony from Denver to New Jersey.
Prokhorov, the Russian billionaire who bought the NBA’s Nets last year, said he was unhappy with how the potential mega-trade played out in public, that it took too long, became too costly and distracted his team.
Speaking before the Nets’ game against Utah, Prokhorov said he had canceled a planned meeting with Anthony and that there was no chance the deal would be resurrected.
"There comes a time when the price is simply too expensive," Prokhorov said. "I have instructed our team to walk away from the deal."
The Nets had offered to send six players and at least two first-round draft selections to Denver in a deal that would have sent Anthony to the Nets along with former Pistons teammates Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton.
But amid massive media attention, the deal never got done, and Prokhorov said he decided on Tuesday to end talks with Denver.
General manager Billy King said he informed the Nuggets via a text message as Prokhorov was speaking on Wednesday. The Nuggets were due to later host Oklahoma City.
"Really I am not happy with the way this deal has gone until now," Prokhorov said. "It has taken too long… and I believe it has cost us several games."
The Nets have dropped six straight, including all four contests on a West Coast road swing that ended Monday.