This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Newark, N.J. — New Jersey Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov said Wednesday night that a proposed trade for Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony is dead.
Prokhorov stated during a press conference prior to the Nets' matchup against the Jazz that he has instructed a struggling New Jersey team to walk away from the deal for Anthony and move on with its season. He said that the widely rumored trade took too long to complete, became too public, and cost the Nets several wins.
"There comes a time when the price is simply too expensive," said Prokhorov, who acknowledged that he is not happy with how the proposed trade played out. "I am instructing our team to walk away from the deal. And the meeting which was supposed to be held by our management tomorrow in Denver with Carmelo is hereby cancelled."
New Jersey, Denver and Detroit were reportedly involved in a multi-player trade centered around Anthony, an All-Star forward and one of the league's premier scorers. Anthony has refused to sign a three-year, $65 million contract extension with the Nuggets.
"I never met with Carmelo and I never spoke with him," Prokhorov said. "Maybe he sent me e-mail. But, really, I don't use computer."
Prokhorov added that he could not comment about a report that the Nets are interested in Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko due to NBA tampering rules.
Kirilenko, a 10-year Utah veteran, said Wednesday morning that he is familiar with Prokhorov and respects him as an owner, but added that he has not had any recent contact with the Russian billionaire.
"We know each other pretty good," Kirilenko said. "We cross many times at different events, not necessarily basketball."
— Brian T. Smith
Twitter: tribjazz