By Michael Ventura
DNAinfo Senior Editor
MANHATTAN — Carmelo Anthony met with the owners of the Knicks and Nets over the weekend, but there's still no word on whether a trade will bring him here.
The Denver Nuggets' All-Star forward has said he prefers to play in Manhattan, but Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov was still confident about luring Anthony to New Jersey after he and team minority owner Jay-Z met the forward at a Los Angeles restaurant before the All-Star game.
"It was a fantastic meeting, trust me," Prokhorov, a Russian billionaire, told CNBC. "No words, live music, excellent atmosphere. We looked into each other's eyes. Just real man talk."
Prokhorov, who pulled the Nets out of the Anthony sweepstakes last month only to push them back in days before the NBA's Thursday trade deadline, was also pleased he forced the Knicks to increase their offer to the Nuggets.
"I think we made a very good tactical decision to force [the] Knicks to pay as much as they can," Prokhorov told CNBC. "So it's very good, it's very interesting, it's very competitive."
The Knicks possess a group of young talented players they're reluctant to relinquish to acquire Anthony. Team owner James Dolan also reportedly met with Anthony over the weekend.
Their proposed deal includes forwards Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler and point guard Raymond Felton along with a first-round draft pick that would be acquired by trading away unused center Anthony Randolph.
The Nuggets said this weekend that they want center Timofey Mozgov included in the package, but the Knicks said their offer is final, according to the New York Post.
Knicks general manager Donnie Walsh was leading the negotiations with Denver, but was overtaken by Dolan, who the New York Times reported is being advised by Knick-fan-nemesis Isiah Thomas. Walsh preferred to wait to sign Anthony in the offseason, when he becomes a free agent, but Dolan wants Anthony now.
Pairong Anthony with Knicks All-Star center Amar'e Stoudemire would put New York in the hunt for a star point guard, either New Orleans' Chris Paul or Utah's Deron Williams, after next season, the Post said.
The Nets have offered Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, Troy Murphy, Ben Uzoh, and four first-round picks to get Anthony and four other players. That deal is contingent on Anthony agreeing to sign a three-year $65 million contract extension with the Nets.
