The New Jersey Nets have had exploratory trade talks with the Denver Nuggets about Carmelo Anthony and Marcus Camby.

This comes a week after the Denver Post reported that no one on Denver’s roster is “untouchable.”

With $81,696,590 on the books for next season, the Nuggets have the league’s 3rd highest payroll. Only $7 million less than the dastardly New York Knicks. That means owner Stan Kroenke will pay $44 million plus luxury taxes for a team that won 50 games but was dispatched in four games by the Los Angeles Lakers.

Dealing Anthony would be a mistake.

Although his scoring average dropped three points this season, he shot a career-best 49% from the field, 35% from the 3-point line, and grabbed a career-high 7 rebounds a game.

Instead, it’s time for Nuggets VP Mark Warkentien and player personnel executive Rex Chapman to take the blame for the trade that brought Allen Iverson to Denver. [Read]

(Photo by RealGM)

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The Los Angeles Lakers dismantled the Denver Nuggets 102-84 in front of a raucous Pepsi Center crowd Saturday afternoon.

The Lakers methodically picked apart the Nuggets with crisp passes and balanced scoring.

The Lakers shot 46% from the floor and 35% from the 3-point line.

Kobe Bryant scored 22 points on 9-for-19 shooting and four other Lakers scored in double figures.

While Kobe Bryant and company took what the “defense was willing to give up,” Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson repeatedly forced the issue.

Anthony and Iverson, two of the NBA’s top 5 scorers, took turns doing their best rendition of a one man show. [Read]

(Photo by RealGM)

The Denver Nuggets, 40-27, are on pace for a 49 win season. But if the playoffs were to begin today, they would be on the outside looking in. Short of moving the team to the East coast, how can the Nuggets get to the next level and whose responsibility is it to get them there?

On Sunday, Denver set an NBA season high for points in a game with a 168-116 rout of the Seattle Supersonics. Last night, they gave up 136 points in a 136-120 loss to the Detroit Pistons. Such is the enigma that has become the Nuggets. They are equal parts offensive brilliance and defensive incompetence.

Typically, great team defense begins with a team’s best player and trickles down to the supporting cast. Perennial All-NBA defenders Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett set the tone for their teams defensively. The Nuggets have 2006-2007 Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Camby but Carmelo Anthony is Denver’s best player. Anthony has never been committed defensively and aside from Camby, Melo’s teammates have followed his lead. [Read]

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