Buried in his Weekend Dime, Marc Stein has two notes about the Nets' pursuit of Carmelo Anthony.
Billy King has been trying to rope in the Cavaliers and their $14.5 million trade exception to facilitate a deal with the Nuggets, but the Cavs, like the Nuggets, want "at least one of those top-shelf picks". Which team gets which picks seems to be an issue. Cleveland is also willing to take on multi-year contracts, Stein adds. In some scenarios, Devin Harris would go to Cleveland.
The trade exception was created last July when the Cavs and Heat engineered a "trade" of LeBron James for four future draft picks, including two first rounders.
Meanwhile, Stein writes that while the Nets are the 'Melo Drama favorite, "It remains to be seen how long before [Mikhail Prokhorov's] riches and party-hearty rep, as captured in a memorable "60 Minutes" profile, actually lead to a landscape-changing signing or trade." Stein also reports some in the NBA believe, apparently based on the league's financial review, that Prokhorov's net worth is "as high as $25 billion." If true, he'd be the world's tenth richest.
- Weekend Dime: The Year By Numbers - Marc Stein - ESPN
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