Within hours after the internet went all a buzz over Al Iannazzone's exclusive, Chauncey Billups' agent was telling anyone who would listen that his client doesn't want to play for the Nets. Or more specifically, he wants to stay in Denver, his hometown, even beyond his playing days. How big of an issue is that?
Right now, no one knows because no one knows how much Carmelo Anthony values Billups' presence. It certainly wouldn't preclude a deal from going down. Billups doesn't have a no-trade clause. He does have a team option in his contract that would pay him a $3.7 million buyout on a $14 million contract. And Billups was careful to say he would play for whoever traded for him...and that is most likely the Nets.
"I hope that I’m here. Everybody knows that," he said from Denver. "But, if I’m not, I’m going to do the best I can, whatever happens."
- Chauncey Billups says if traded he will become free agent next summer - Kurt Helin - NBC Sports
- Billups doesn’t want trade from Denver - Marc J. Spears - Yahoo! Sports
- Chauncey Billups doesn't want to be Net - Chris Sheridan - ESPN New York
- Billups not paying any attention to Anthony rumors - AP
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Nuggets' veteran Billups knows trade talk just part of the game - Benjamin Hochman - Denver Post
- Nets might try to reunite Rip Hamilton, Chauncey Billups in Carmelo Anthony trade - Vince Goodwill - Detroit News