The next time Nets general manager Billy King or assistant GM Bobby Marks speak to Denver execs we could see the conversation going something like this:

Nets: Are you really ready to move Carmelo Anthony this time? If not, don’t waste our time.

Nugs: We are ready.

Nets: Are you ready to move forward and keep it between us? If this gets out again and our players are put in a bad spot and we have to keep answering questions about a trade we’re going to back out again.

Nugs: We are ready.

Nets: You know you’re not going to get Favors and two first-round picks from us now after what happened. Maybe you can get another first-rounder from another team.

Nugs: We understand.

Nets: And at the last minute, don’t try to add more players and make the deal harder to pull off.

Nugs: All right.

Nets: So are you ready to move forward?

Nugs: We are ready.

Nets: Good. Let’s work toward hammering out something right now and we’ll stay on the phone until it’s done.
 
Nugs: We’ll call you back.

Then after a couple of days, the Nets’ phone rings:

Nugs: We are ready to deal Carmelo, but we want you to take back Kenyon Martin, J.R. Smith and Anthony Carter and we want Favors, Brook Lopez and Troy Murphy, two No. 1s, a second rounder, cash and see if you can get another team to get us more picks and another serviceable player.

Nets: (Hysterically laughing). We told you Lopez is not available and what you’re asking for is absurd. You know you’re risking losing Anthony for nothing. Do you want to have a serious conversation?

Nugs: We’ll call you back.

The next day:

Nugs: We want to talk you about sending Smith and Martin for Favors and Murphy, a No.1 and No. 2. Both our guys are on expiring contracts. It could free up some additional money for you if you wanted to sign Carmelo Anthony after the season because we hear he’s not coming back.

Nets: We are ignoring that. Do you want to talk about Carmelo seriously?

Nugs: We’ll call you back.

Nets: Forget it. Don’t call us back.

Nugs: All right let’s talk.

It probably won’t happen just like that, but the two sides will talk again, if they haven’t already since the Nets removed themselves from the trade talks Tuesday.

The Nets aren’t all the way out and everyone knows it.

Anthony is unhappy in Denver. The Nuggets know they have to do something eventually. They’ll probably go over some of the offers they already received and check back with teams that they wished offered more.

They will talk to the Nets again, too. Only this time the Nets hope their potential trade partners are serious about making a deal.

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There was more basketball-related questions after practice today than any time since camp opened Saturday. If the Nets hadn’t “backed out” yesterday there may have been more “How you handling this?” questions.

There were plenty of “how do you feel that the Nets removed themselves?” inquiries to Devin Harris and Derrick Favors. But there also was basketball talk, about Harris’ role in the offense and the competition at some positions like shooting guard where Anthony Morrow and Terrence Williams are dueling for the starting job and minutes.

It should stay this way until more rumors come up.

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Coach’s Corner
“We’ve gotten in a lot of action defensively and offensively in a short period of time. For our eighth practice, I would say we’ve made a little progress. I wouldn’t say that the teacher is overly thrilled. But he’s not disappointed or anything like that. Our coaching staff has done a really good job of working with these guys behind the scenes, getting them ready. We’ve been able to gain some yardage in some situations.”

- Avery Johnson on his team

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Follow me on Twitter: @Al_Iannazzone

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Al Iannazzone covers the Nets for The Record (Bergen County, N.J.)