Haven't we been here before?

So much for nyet: according to ESPN, the Nets have begun talking to the Denver Nuggets about disgruntled star Carmelo Anthony again. And according to one source, "New Jersey has come back strong. They really want Anthony." Last month, Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov made a big show of cutting off negotiations between the two teams after several near-deals fell through. But could this all be a ruse to piss off and/or motivate the Knicks?

Anthony's agent has already said that Anthony will only sign a contract extension with the Knicks. But the Nuggets have been unhappy with the players, and potential trades, the team has proposed thus far. Coupled with Anthony's seemingly unwavering stance, some think that Denver might just be rattling MSG president James Dolan's cage, trying to show the Knicks they're serious about trading Carmelo elsewhere. Could Denver hate Dolan that much?

Maybe its not just Dolan—for as one NBA executive told the News, you can't have Dolan without his BFF Isiah Thomas, "who likes to think of himself as the de facto general manager of the Knicks because of his relationship with Dolan ("Lot of us in the NBA are envious of Isiah," my source said. "We all wish we had a billionaire friend like that")."