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Their package certainly seems the most attractive to the Denver Nuggets. With Derrick Favors, several expiring contracts and five first-round picks over the next two years, the Nuggets will have a difficult time finding a better offer if they decide to trade their superstar.

But even with all of their assets, the Nets remain an unlikely suitor for Anthony. While they strengthened their offer to the Nuggets, that was never the issue for New Jersey.

The obstacle for the organization has been making a successful pitch to Anthony that would convince him to sign an extension with the Nets. Acquiring picks gives them an advantage in trade talks, but it will still be tough for the team to sell the situation to Anthony. In fact, one source close to the forward believes that this move may have even set New Jersey back even further.

Before the trade, Anthony wasn’t ready to commit to the Nets and watching them trade Terrence Williams may have made matters worse. Williams had issues with head coach Avery Johnson but at the end of the day, the forward was one of the team’s few attractive pieces to Anthony because of his talent and potential.

Unless the Nets are able to acquire other players before trading for Anthony, sources don’t believe he would sign an extension that would keep him in New Jersey. When asked if Carmelo would extend his contract with the Nets, one source close to the superstar made it clear he’s not interested if the roster remains as currently constructed and stressed that he has his sights focused on the New York Knicks.

"No," said the source. "Carmelo is heading to New York. He wants to be a Knick and I’m just waiting to see it happen."

With the Knicks climbing in the standings, the Nets haven’t helped their case by sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with just six wins.

The Nets have put themselves in an excellent position for the future by stockpiling the essential pieces for a rebuilding team: young talent, expiring contracts, and first-round draft picks. But have they improved their chances of landing Carmelo Anthony? Not likely.

Bulls Could Eye Replacement Big: There are only two centers in Chicago. One of them, Joakim Noah, will be sidelined for the next two months after undergoing surgery on his right thumb. The other, Omer Asik, is a rookie that doesn’t quite have the qualifications to start on a contending team with just twenty-three games under his belt.

While Noah could miss up to ten weeks, sources close to the center are staying optimistic and hoping the time frame is closer to six-to-eight weeks. Either way, Chicago’s frontcourt will be missing their starting center for an extended period of time and the team could look for a replacement big to provide some help.

{AUTHOR_BOX}Asik will likely see his role increase and power forwards such as Taj Gibson, Kurt Thomas, and Brian Scalabrine could be used more if the Bulls get creative and go small, but management has made sure to keep their options open in case of injuries all season long.

Prior to signing with the Phoenix Suns, Earl Barron had been on Chicago’s radar since the summer and the team had made it very clear that they would take a look at him should there be an injury on their frontline. The team has likely had similar conversations with other free agents. The Bulls could also bring in a big from the NBA Development League to serve as a band-aid until Noah returns to action.

Another option is trading for a replacement. By December, many of the league’s quality big men are already on an NBA roster or playing overseas so finding a free agent to step in will be difficult. Several months into the season, the talent pool is almost completely dry which is why making a trade could be the best move for Chicago.

The Bulls have been active in trade talks this season, gauging interest on their roster and allegedly placing calls for players such as J.R. Smith and Daniel Gibson. Don’t be surprised if Chicago tries to acquire a big man to fill the void left by Noah.

The Bulls have a comfortable five game lead in the Central Division and are currently on a seven-game winning streak. The team’s goal is to keep the ship from sinking until Noah returns and then enter the playoffs ready to make a deep run. That may be difficult without bringing in another big man and the Bulls will have to weigh their options in the coming weeks.

NBA News and Notes: Here are some items from this week’s news and notes bin.

• The San Antonio Spurs held trade discussions with a number of teams in the beginning of the season, but their impressive start has ended all talks. The team was trying to gauge interest on their players to weigh potential moves until their twelve-game win streak landed them atop the Western Conference, where they remain today with their league-best 20-3 record.

• Carl Landry recently said that he would consider returning to the Houston Rockets when he becomes a free agent this summer even though the team traded him to Sacramento just one season ago. This is no surprise to his Houston teammates, who would love to have Landry back on the team. Many of the players are still close with Landry and re-signing him would be a popular decision in the locker room.

• Don’t be surprised if yesterday’s trade to the Houston Rockets helps Terrence Williams get his career back on the right track. After butting heads with Avery Johnson in New Jersey, one player who grew up with Williams believes that this change of scenery will allow the forward to continue his development and correct his attitude. At only twenty-three years old, Williams is far from reaching his full potential and if this move helps him focus and mature, the Rockets could be getting a future star out of this deal.