"The Denver Nuggets believe the New Jersey Nets are so desperate to make a deal for Carmelo Anthony that they're holding firm on a trade demand of five future first-round draft picks as part of a package to land the All-Star forward, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

"Denver needs to get real," one front-office executive said. "That's not happening."

Even so, Nuggets owner Josh Kroenke and general manager Masai Ujiri privately insist they're going to make a team pay a steep price for their franchise player. After a moratorium on Anthony talks because of the death of his sister and the holidays, the Nuggets and Nets will resume discussions next week. There's still too much posturing to believe a deal can be consummated in the short-term.

The Portland Trail Blazers and Cleveland Cavaliers have been part of the multiteam talks, but so far nothing has come together. Nevertheless, the Nets won't back away: They'll chase Anthony until they get him or Denver moves him somewhere else.

Ujiri came to Denver from a scouting background, and rival front-office executives believe he's more comfortable trading for draft picks than veteran players. So far, that's the advantage the Nets have over the New York Knicks – the control of several more future draft picks."