Anthony to Nets: Sell me on N.J.

As the Denver Nuggets and New Jersey Nets move closer to completing their complicated trade, Carmelo Anthony has told close associates the Nets still need to sell him on signing an extension with them, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

“ ‘Melo can’t have cold feet now,” said one organizational source involved in the talks. “It’s too far down the line. He’s the one who wanted this.”

Anthony hasn’t ruled out committing to the Nets, but he wants a clearer vision of their plans for the future. Anthony’s preference is to wait to see what other trade options become available for him, the sources said.

Nevertheless, multiple sources involved in the proposed three-team trade between the Nuggets, Nets and Detroit Pistons expect the deal to be completed next week, but no sooner than midweek.

Despite the Nuggets’ best efforts to rid themselves of the four years and $28 million remaining on the contract of Al Harrington, league sources said Harrington will not be included in the deal.

Anthony admitted the ongoing speculation about the trade has weighed on his teammates.

“I’m sure they think about it,” he said. “If they tell you that they don’t, they’d be lying. I’ve been with these guys, most of them, seven, eight years. We talk. We communicate. I just want to tell them whatever happens, it’s going to happen. But as long as I’m here, I just want everybody to just play and just have fun.”