Billups, Rip Enter Carmelo Trade Talks

According to Yahoo!, the Nets‘ hopes of landing Melo may now require the Pistons’ involvement: “As Carmelo Anthony demands the New Jersey Nets surround him with veteran talent as a condition for him to commit to a contract extension, his agent has been the driving force behind bringing Detroit Pistons guard Richard Hamilton into multiteam trade talks, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. Anthony’s agent, Leon Rose, also represents Hamilton, and sources said he pushed Nets general manager Billy King to bring the Pistons into trade talks with New Jersey and the Denver Nuggets. […] With Anthony’s agent so heavily involved in brokering particular players in the deal, the Nets are working under a belief that a proposed package to bring them Hamilton and Denver’s Chauncey Billups would be sufficient to sell Anthony on joining them over his preferred destination, the New York Knicks.”