As for his star player Deron Williams? The Nets head coach believes Williams is buying into the program and excited about the future of this team.

Avery Johnson joined WFAN in New York with Mike Francesca to discuss the New Jersey Nets fighting through injuries this season, the New Jersey Nets playing hard despite injuries, demanding a lot out of his players, coaching a star player in Deron Williams and being in the Dwight Howard sweepstakes.

How is it with your walking wounded this season?

“We are still walking and wounded. Hopefully we’ll be running a little bit tonight, but we’ve had to survive a rash of injuries. Brook Lopez breaks his foot in the last preseason game at Madison Square Garden. Marshon Brooks has a fractured toe. He’s out for awhile. Damion James our starting small forward re-fractures his foot and Mehmet Okur has a bad back. Again we have been able to survive and it’s a testimony to and a testament to the young guys that we have and Deron Williams leadership with our young team.”

The team has played hard for you day in and day out:

“Yeah and we play well on the road. That win last week in Philadelphia was a big win. [Mike Francesa: They have been creaming people at home] They swept us last year. We didn’t have any success against the Sixers. For also to go back and beat a Cleveland team that beat us early in the year. [Mike Francesa: They just beat the Celtics] Yeah they just beat the Celtics. Again for us like I told you before when I first interviewed with you last year when I first took the job: It’s baby steps. We gotta take some baby steps. Hopefully we’ll get healthy at some point and hopefully we’ll get Brook Lopez back where we can get a chance to see what our team is going to look like as we move on into Brooklyn.”

Your style is demanding and you ask a lot of your players:

“Yeah, but the key is the relationship that I have with ownership, our general manager, Billy King. We don’t have the circus atmosphere around us right now. We’re not trying to trade any of our players. We’ve been going through a lot of that stuff with the Carmelo[Anthony] stuff last year. The Dwight Howard stuff this year. I think for us we have been able to focus on the players that we have that are healthy enough to play when we have a chance to practice, which is rare with this crazy schedule. We’re focused and our guys – guys like Sheldon Williams and Jordan Farmar, guys who don’t really get a lot of press play hard. Like I said Deron Williams, he’s doing a great job with leadership and it makes it easier for our coaching staff.”

How do you deal with your star player? Does it make it tough on you with all the speculation surrounding Deron Williams?

“Not really because our star player has been really consistent. He’s a very a good player and plays very hard. He’s been really consistent with his approach. He basically told us he loves what we are doing and he loves the vision. He’s excited about playing in the Barclays Center [in Brooklyn] and that’s all we can do. We’ve shown him exactly the blue print of what we are trying to do, what we are trying to build. We drafted Marshon Brooks, which was a really good draft pick. We think Brook Lopez when he is healthy is one of the top three to five centers in the NBA. We have three pointing shooting. We couldn’t make a three point shot last year. We make a lot of them this year, so again this year we’ll have another good draft pick, whatever the number is, we have plenty of money to spend in free agency. We have the blueprint. We just gotta keep adding to it and with Deron, we get along really well and I think he is excited about where we are going.”

You are in the mix for Dwight Howard, but with the way that is going you know he is going somewhere soon. The face of league is going to change in the next couple of weeks:

“It’ll be interesting when it does. I think right now everybody is waiting to get past All-Star [Game] and then you’ll probably see a lot of movement in the league in March.”

Listen to Avery Johnson on 660 WFAN in New York here

Deron Williams is the most important piece to the Nets future moving forward. He really dictates the pace of the franchise with his decision at the end of the season. Williams will not be signing a contract extension with the Nets purely because it’s not a smart move financially and it has nothing to do with the franchise. Williams has expressed his dream to play with Dwight Howard in the following interview and only time will tell if Brooklyn next year will be the destination where it happens.

Deron Williams joined WFAN in New York with Joe and Evan to discuss staying with the Nets at the end of the year, the players he would prefer the Nets to sign in free agency, staying with the Nets if they land Dwight Howard, opting out of his contract right now because it was the smart move to make with the new CBA, the chances of signing with the New York Knicks, being close with Dwight Howard, who he thinks Dwight Howard will sign with, Dwight Howard signing with the Nets, the one player he would love to play with, Dwight Howard being traded and the likelihood that he will be a member of the Nets when they move to Brooklyn next year.

Now let’s get down to it. Are you going to stay at the end of the year? Are you thinking about other options?

“My plan is to stay. Hopefully we can get some good talent to where I can stay because I think this is a great organization. They are heading in a great direction especially with the move to Brooklyn – the new arena – everything is in place. I think we are going to get players. I think guys are going to want to come play in Brooklyn and play with me.”

Do you have a preference for who you want on this team? Let’s be honest Billy King is going to listen to what you say:

“I might not tell you anything when it comes to that either. We talked a lot before the lockout. I haven’t been able to talk with him at all during the lockout, but I got to talk to him today for a couple of minutes before I came here, but we got some guys. [Evan Roberts: Do you need bigs?] We need a center to go with Brook Lopez. I think Brook could play the four for us. They are both [Tyson Chandler and Nene] good players. You can’t really go wrong with either one of those guys. They are both very talented big men. They both bring a little bit of different styles.”

If the Nets land Dwight Howard is it fair to say you will be a Net next year?

“I think if you are a point guard and you play with Dwight Howard and you decide to leave you are not very smart.”

When it came out that would opt out of your contract at the end of the year my first reaction was well Deron Williams isn’t an idiot. I saw the CBA. You are going to make less money. You could sign for less years if you sign now. How much of that goes into it? This new CBA makes it better for you to opt out:

“Well that’s exactly – that’s what it was. Financially it makes sense for me to opt out. There’s no reason to sign an extension right now barring an injury. I should be able to make that money back. It has nothing to do with the Nets. I like I said I love the organization. The organization is great. My preference would be stay here for the future. We’ll see how it goes this year. We’ll see in the next couple of days. It’s going to be crazy. It’s going to be a whirlwind the next couple of days.”

Is there a chance you would go to the Knicks?

“That would be very unlikely.”

How close are you with Dwight Howard? Are you guys buddies?

“We talk quite a bit.”

What do you think Dwight Howard is going to do? Is he going to stay in Orlando?

“I don’t know. [Evan Roberts: Has he ever mentioned it would be cool to play with you?] We’ve talked. I am not going to get into what we talk about, but we’ve talked at times.”

Do you think Dwight Howard would sign with the Nets?

“I don’t know. I haven’t talked to him lately, so I don’t know.”

Who’s the one player you would love to play with?

“I think it would probably be Dwight Howard. I think he is the most dominant big man in the game right now. Safe to say.”

Do you think Dwight Howard will be traded?

“I don’t know anything. I haven’t been talking – I couldn’t tell you. That’s why I said it’s going to be crazy because I think it could be a lot of guys moving teams and the NBA could be looking totally different with the amnesty and all that. You don’t know who is going to get amnestied. You just hear talks. Rumors don’t mean much to me. Sources. That doesn’t mean much to me. When I see stuff happen that is when I will know.”

Give me the percentage that you will be a Net opening up the Brooklyn arena?

“You are not going to stop are you? [Laughs] I’d probably say like 90%.”

Listen to Deron Williams on 660 WFAN in New York here

Billy King sounds confident in the Nets chances of talking Deron Williams into a contract extension by the time they move to Brooklyn next season. That would be a huge factor in possibly landing Dwight Howard, but didn’t the owners just have a lockout with the idea of stopping superstar players from aligning to make super teams? Folks let’s also remember now the Nets were “getting” LeBron James in the summer of 2010 because of Mikhail Prokhorov. Then the Nets were “close” to getting Carmelo Anthony during the NBA trade deadline last season. Will the Nets land the big fish that is Dwight Howard this time around?

Billy King joined WFAN in New York with Joe and Evan to discuss Deron Williams staying with the Nets if the team wins immediately, Kris Humphries being a top priority to bring back this season, the report that the Nets are preparing to make Dwight Howard an offer, the status of Deron Williams’s contract extension, the possibility of trading Deron Williams right away if he doesn’t want to sign an extension and being confident that Deron Williams will sign a contract extension.

Is winning now going to be the key factor in Deron Williams staying with the Nets and signing a contract extension?

“I think when we made a trade to get Deron that moved it up where winning is even more of a priority. Last year we were really young when we started the season. We were in that rebuilding mode, but now you have a player like Deron. You have Brook Lopez. I mean the goal is to win. Our goal is to try to put a product on the court that we can get ourselves in the playoffs. It’s not just about for Deron. I think it’s for our fans and me and Avery Johnson. We are competitive. I want to win.”

How much of a priority is it to bring back Kris Humphries since the team needs a big man?

“I spoke to Marc Cornstein, his agent. I guess we could talk at 9 a.m. I was on the phone by 9:05 a.m. letting him know our interest in him.”

Would you like to comment on the report this morning that you are preparing an offer to Dwight Howard?

“[Laughs] This amazing thing is I have not had a conversation with Orlando in about a year. To wake up and see that is like ‘Wow.’ Then I try to figure within the new rules again how does that even happen? Sometimes you wake up and you read things and it’s pretty interesting.”

When is Deron Williams available to sign an extension? Do you think he will immediately? Do you think he will wait?

“He is eligible now. I am waiting for a lot of the rules to come in for how long that period is or whatever it is going to be, but he’s able to. I have not had a conversation with his reps about that at the present time because we only started talking today, but in due time we will have that conversation.”

If Deron Williams doesn’t sign that extension right away will you start to worry about that? Would you consider trading Deron Williams if he doesn’t sign an extension right away?

“Absolutely not.”

Are you confident that Deron Williams will sign an extension?

“Fortunately I was around him quite a bit before July 1st and I felt pretty good. I still feel pretty good because we have a lot of things going for him. We got a brand new building that will be opening next season. He can be the face of a franchise in a major market, so I think there is a lot of positives in our situation for him. In the other situations those guys have been with those teams for awhile. They may want to look. They may not. I don’t know.”

Listen to Billy King on 660 WFAN in New York here

Williams joined The Dan Patrick Show to talk about the birth of his new child, his game-winner against the Celtics on Monday night, the closer’s mentality that all great players have at the end of games, if he thinks the Nets can remain hot and make a push towards the playoffs, the toughest team he’s played against this year either in New Jersey or Utah, how he’s getting used to switching who his chief rivals are following a move from the Western to Eastern conference, whether he thinks he’ll remain with the Nets beyond this season, if he’s had a chance to talk to Jay-Z yet, how he heard about his trade from Chris Broussard on television, how he’s not resentful about how his tenure in Utah ended, and if there’s nothing more to the end of his relationship with Jazz and Jerry Sloan than has already been discussed.

On what it’s like being away from his growing family for an extended period of time while he settles in with his new team in New Jersey:

“I don’t know, this is my first time so it’s tough.”

If there were a shot clock on him while changing a diaper, how long would it need to be:

“I’m fast man. I change a lot of diapers in my life.”

On his game-winner against the Celtics the other night, and if that’s how Avery Johnson drew it up in the huddle:

“I mean, it wasn’t necessarily for a 3. The play was for me to catch it off the in-bounds, come off a pick-and-roll and have the whole side cleared out. But there were eight seconds left on the clock, and me and Jordan Farmar were talking about it, and I said ‘I’m probably going to pull up for a 3. And that’s what I did.”

On having a killer instinct or mentality at the end of games, and if he craves having the ball in his hands in crunch time to make those types of plays:

“I think so. I think all the best players in this league, they want the ball in their hands to make a play. Whether it’s a shot or, you know, I’ve made a lot of game-winning passes because I have a lot of confidence in my teammates. I think you’ve just got to want the ball in your hands to make a play, period, at the end of the game.”

If he thinks the Nets can stay hot and make a push towards the playoffs:

“It’s going to be tough. It’s not going to be a cakewalk and we’re going to need some help from Indiana and Charlotte, but we’re right there. We’re not too many games back. We do have some tough games ahead of  us, but it’s a good test to see where we’re really at.”

On the toughest team he feels he’s played against — either in Utah or New Jersey:

“I’d say San Antonio. They just know how to manage, they know how to play and they  know how to win. They’re just consistent. So consistent.”

On switching conferences and how that alters who his chief rivals are on a consistent basis:

“Well that’s why I say you’ve got to switch your hatred. I’ve got to switch my hatred from the Lakers, the Spurs, now I’ve got to switch it to the Bulls, the Celtics. So it’s different.”

If he plans on staying in New Jersey beyond the 2010-2011 season:

“I don’t know. I can’t tell anything until the CBA is decided. In reality, I still have two more years on my contract. I can’t sign an extension until I opt out; I can’t opt out until after next year. So there’s really nothing to talk about. Because there’s nothing saying that I’m going to opt out.”

On Avery Johnson making it sound like he’ll likely be back with the Nets into the future:

“Well they’re doing everything possible to get me to stay here and I’m enjoying my time here so far. I think the organization is great. The players are great and the coaching staff is great. I’m having a lot of fun.”

If he’s had the chance to talk Jay-Z yet:

“Yeah I’ve talked to him a couple of times. He just let me know how excited he was to have me on board and have me on the team. And he looks forward to the future of the Nets, especially with the move to Brooklyn.”

On who told him that he was being traded from Utah to New Jersey:

“I think it was Chris Broussard that told me.”

Wait, he found out he got traded while watching ESPN?

“Yeah, I was just watching T.V.”

Whether he was offended that he found out that way:

“No, not at all man. It’s a business. That’s how it goes sometimes. They called me it. It was like two minutes later. He didn’t say the trade was done; he said it was almost done, almost finalized. So I put a call into my agent and he didn’t know anything about it. Than our owner called me and informed me. So that’s how I found it.”

If he could quickly clear up what happened with him and Jerry Sloan:

“I’m done clearing it up. People are going to think what they want. People want controversy. I’ve said it, he’s said it, so I don’t know what else people want clarification from. We’ve had arguments over the years, this wasn’t worse than any of them. And that’s all that was. He decided to step down, but I don’t think that was because of me. I never informed anybody that he needed to step down or it was me or him or anything of that nature.”

Is Derek Rose the MVP?

“Right now, yeah, I think so. I think so.”

Listen here to Williams on The Dan Patrick Show

Devin Harris joined KFNZ in Salt Lake City to talk about what he thinks of the world of professional basketball that he lives in, what it was like playing in New Jersey, and if the Jazz are going to get the same player he was in the 2008-09 season.

What he thinks of the world he lives in:

“It is awkward but it is something that we love.  It is a business.  We move around a lot but it is something that you enjoy doing.  The travel is great.  Obviously we get to do things that you can only dream of but it is a fun living and I enjoy doing it.”

What it was like playing in New Jersey:

“It wasn’t my best couple of years as far as winning-wise.  It was tough coming in to replace Jason Kidd and with the ownership with way it was going they sort of cut salaries and we dealt pretty tough.  Obviously being one of the worst teams in the history was very tough and not getting out to a great start this year.  It was something I am glad I went through.  Obviously it shows you that you could be at the top and that very easily you could go down to the bottom.  I am very anxious to get back to the top of that, winning.”

Whether he got bored or tired after the first 30 games this season:

“Neither.  I would say more of just try to change the way I play for the sake of the team.  We made some trades I sacrificed my offense a little bit to get the team going and try to win more games.”

If the Jazz are going to get the same player he was in the 2008-09 season:

“Hopefully so.  That is definitely the level I am trying to get back to.  I think I can do that with this type of team.  Like I said, I am looking to get back into that rare form.”

How he goes about trying to get all of his belongings shipped to Utah:

“I have been through a mid-season trade before.  This is what I did.  I only packed for a two day trip.  I shipped probably a fourth of my wardrobe to the hotel in Utah, car will be on the way.  So I think I can manage and live in the hotel for the hotel for the rest of the season and just kind of chill and hangout.”

Devin Harris on KFNZ in Salt Lake City with David Locke (the interview start at the 9:27 mark)

Even though the team gave up a big part of the future with draft picks, Derrick Favors, and Devin Harris, they needed a star to bring to Brooklyn with them and it’s not every day that a team can make a trade for one of the best point guards in the league. It was a risky move for the Nets, but one worth taking. They have the most important piece and can worry about 2012 when that time comes.

Deron Williams joined WFAN in New York with Joe and Evan to talk about what he was thinking when the trade went down, whether or not it was true that he found out by watching TV, if he still thinks the Nets can be a playoff team, what happened between him and Jerry Sloan, and what he wants to see happen in New Jersey to keep him around.

What he was thinking when he first heard about the trade:

“I was thinking that I was going from a potential playoff team to a team where it was going to be pretty hard to make the playoffs was my first thought. After a while, after comprehending, and getting on the phone with Billy King and seeing his vision and then talking to Coach Johnson, it got me excited about a new, fresh start.”

If it’s true that he heard the news after watching TV:

“I was shocked because I didn’t know what was going on. I did really find out from the organization. It looked like it was a rumor. Chris Broussard said it was almost done so I called my agent to try and find out what was going on. He went to call Kevin O’Connor our GM and then I ended up getting a call from the owner Greg Miller and he told me they had made a deal for me and wished me good luck.”

Whether or not he thinks the Nets can be a playoff team as soon as this year:

“Like you said it will be hard. I never said it wasn’t but it’s not impossible. We’re going to take it one game at a time. I’m going to start by learning these plays on this flight right now and see how it goes tomorrow.”

If he thinks his relationship with Jerry Sloan led to Sloan leaving Utah:

“I don’t think so. We’ve bumped heads a couple of times throughout my career. It was never a big deal the next day. I don’t think that in anyway led to him resigning. I think he was tired and it was not like it was his fourth year coaching. He had been doing it for 30 years and was 69-years-old. His legacy will never be forgotten, he’s a Hall-Of-Famer and I appreciate everything he has done for me throughout my career.”

Whether or not he believes you have to have multiple stars now to compete:

“Of course. You kinda have to now. That’s what everyone is doing. You’ve got Boston with the big four, Miami with their big three, and San Antonio with their big three. That’s the trend now and I’m gonna look to recruit guys legally. No tampering. I want to make sure people know there’s no tampering involved, but just bring some guys in here.”

What it will take to keep him in New Jersey:

“Since I’ve been in this league my ultimate goal is a championship. I want that and hopefully this franchise is going in the right direction. A lot of things appeal to me. The move to Brooklyn and we have a lot of money to get marquee guys and bring some guys in here is definitely appealing to me. At the end of this contract when I can sit down and decide things that’s when I will decide, but until then I’m not concerned about my future.”

Listen to Deron Williams on WFAN in New York here

Williams had one year left on his three-year deal, one that was originally signed to give him options to get out of Salt Lake City if that’s what he wanted to do. Instead, Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor sent him packing Wednesday in a deal to New Jersey for Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, some first-round picks and cash.

All of that was too much for O’Connor and the Jazz to pass up given that they couldn’t ensure with 100 percent confidence that Williams would stick around after next season.

Kevin O’Connor joined KFNZ in Salt Lake City with Scott Garrard to discuss if the spat with Jerry Sloan punched Williams’ ticket out of town, if there were discussions about dealing him prior to that, what the Carmelo Anthony deal meant for this one, the risk/reward of getting Williams out before trying to re-sign him to stay in Utah, the pieces the Jazz got in return for Williams and the identity of the ever-changing team at this point.

If trading Deron Williams had anything to do with a spat with Jerry Sloan:

“No. It had zero impact on today.”

If there were discussions of trading Williams before that:

“You always look, yeah, absolutely. But let’s take it back a step further. You have discussions about every player and I think that’s what people don’t understand. … We have conversations all the time.”

How much was he sitting back and waiting for the Carmelo Anthony drama to end:

“It’s like a housing market, it sets a price. And I think it set a price for what it was. I’d like to think that we, from our point of view, when you give away an All-Star you better get something in return. I think what we felt was return, if Denver probably wanted to accept that offer more than the Knicks’ offer, but they wouldn’t re-sign there, so they had to take the Knicks offer. That tells you a couple things, first, that it’s a pretty good offer. … And the second thing is you’re in the ballpark for continuing to have conversations.”

On needing to get something for Williams before he potentially left during free agency:

“The focus we really basically had was, ‘What was the percentage that Deron would stay or not stay and how close to 100 percent on the return was this deal?’ We felt it was really close and, therefore, it wasn’t worth the risk.”

His thoughts on Derrick Favors:

“He’s a big, raw, young player. … But what we look at is physicality, athleticism and size. Those three things he’s got and those three things are difficult to come by. … We got a young one and let’s see how he develops. … Those steps that he’s got to take and they’re going to be baby steps because he’s not ready yet. But what we did get was Devin Harris who’s a good point guard, an upper-tier point guard, who certainly helped Dallas win a lot of games and then got caught up in a rebuilding process.”

What is the identity of the Jazz right now?:

“I think the identity is change right now. What it really is is I don’t think you can have an identity, as far as individuals go, if you’ve changed them. … What it is is hopefully the stability and the foundation that was laid … that we’ll continue that. You’ll be able to come out to a game and watch us compete hard, watch us have good players on the floor and hopefully watch us be smart enough to get players to help us win.”

Listen to Kevin O’Connor on KFNZ in Salt Lake City here

The Nets, and general manager Billy King, were once hopeful they’d find a way to bring in Carmelo Anthony from Denver. Then the team declared itself out of the race for Anthony. Then, this week, it appeared they were back in before the Nuggets shipped Melo to the New York Knicks.

One day later, the Nets went ahead and made a big deal anyway, snagging point guard Deron Williams from Utah on Wednesday. The Nets had to give up Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, a couple picks and some cash to do it, but they landed a premiere point guard to now build their team around with up-and-coming Brook Lopez.

And, while he didn’t admit to anything of the sort in the following interview, King got the chance to steal some of the Knicks’ thunder.

Billy King joined WFAN in New York with Joe and Evan to discuss how the deal came about so quickly, the reports Deron Williams wasn’t happy about it, if they’ll make more trades, if they were close to landing Carmelo Anthony, if the CBA is playing a role in the blockbusters at the deadline and how Williams makes the Nets better.

Where did this trade come from?:

“I had to move on yesterday morning and put a call in and I had it in the back of my mind that this is something I may propose down the road and I did and we discussed it a couple times yesterday and then this morning we came to an agreement.”

How close was he to moving Devin Harris before this?:

“I’d had conversations with teams. We didn’t have any definite deals, but we had had conversations.”

On the reports that Deron Williams isn’t happy with the trade:

“That’s not true. I’ve spoken to Deron. He’s excited and ecstatic. The one concern is his wife is due and having a baby, but he’s excited and ready to go. I told him what we have, $19 million in cap space this summer, we still have picks. … I said, ‘We’re going to build something special and you’re going to help lead us this way.’ And he’s excited about it.”

Could they make more trades?:

“It’s no secret of me, I will address the trade situation here soon and get something done with that.”

How close were they to getting Carmelo Anthony?:

“I know we had a great meeting with him and I think we had a great deal on the table with him and at the end of the day I think Denver chose to do the New York deal. That’s the deal they wanted. We knew that if New York added certain pieces that they would take their deal.”

How much is the labor uncertainty playing a role in these trade deadline deals?:

“I don’t think that’s it. I think you should look at it, there’s been major trades made like this. Jason Kidd was traded from Phoenix to the Nets. There have been a lot of blockbuster trades around this league at trade deadline time and I don’t think the CBA has anything to do with it.”

But how do you look at it when trying to figure out cap space going forward?:

“I think you just look at the fact that if you have that much now and you see what other people have. If the cap goes down, you’ve still got more than other people.”

On how Deron Williams can make players around him, including Brook Lopez, better:

“I think he will. I just think he’ll make a lot of people better because he’s great at running the pick and roll, great at shooting the 3-point, he’s got a strong body and he’s a great leader. I’m looking forward to seeing him play.”

Listen to Billy King on WFAN in New York here

Mikhail Prokhorov grew increasingly frustrated with the Nuggets mishandling of this potential trade to the Nets and said the club will no longer pursue a trade for Anthony. The real problem here is that Nuggets see the writing on the wall and their not happy with their star player leaving without getting some sort of compensation for him and also demanding where he wants to go. This is where professional sports is going these days where star players are handing out ultimatums.  Donnie Walsh is holding his ground not wanting to gut his entire team for one player no matter how good he is, but James Dolan may overrule him on this one. Walsh knows the Nuggets are bluffing, trying to get more from the Knicks. Now we may have another “Cold War” upon us this weekend in L.A. for All-Star weekend as it’s been reported both Prokhorov and Dolan will meet with Anthony’s representatives. Speculation fuels sports talk in this country and just when you thought there couldn’t be anymore to talk about in this discussion regarding this trade it just got more interesting. What jersey will Melo be wearing next week?

Carmelo Anthony joined Fox Sports Radio with Petros and Money to discuss which team does he honestly think he’ll be playing for next week, are the potential trade talks the toughest situation he’s had to handle in his career, does it bother him that these trade talks drag his teammates into it and is there a meeting between himself and Mikhail Prokhorov.

What is your current trade status? Which team do you honestly think you’ll be playing for next week?

“It’s a wild and crazy time right now. To answer your question I have no idea. I’m just trying to have a good time this weekend with what I gotta focus on and deal with that you know when the time comes.”

You’ve always had the spotlight on you since carrying Syracuse in your freshmen year of college. Are these trade talks the toughest situation you’ve had to handle in your career?

“Yeah man at first I thought it would never get like this, but then it escalated. Everybody wanted to write their own stories. Everybody has their own opinion on it. What should I do? Where should I go? At the end of the day it is what it is? I’m handling it the best I can and you know I deal with it as I go along.”

It’s been known around the NBA and amongst the media that you are a well-liked teammate. Is the toughest part of these trade rumors dragging your teammates into it?

“Well I think early on in the season I would have said that.You know that maybe it was a distraction to some of the guys on the team. As the season has went along it went from me not being there you know in training camp to me not being there in December, to me not being there in January, to me not being there you know right now. I was able to do what I gotta do and play the way I know how to play. My teammates see that. They see that I come. You know I come into work into each session, each day, work hard, practice, do what I gotta do in the game and at the end of the day right now I’m still a Denver Nugget. They appreciate that. At the end of the day you know all that stuff is out there, but we are one team.”

Is there a meeting between yourself and Mikhail Prokhorov?

“No honestly the media is always breaking news to me. That’s what I realized during this whole process. It’s always something new, but that’s new news to me.I haven’t heard that one.”

Listen to Carmelo Anthony on Fox Sports Radio here

The Nets made the right move though. As much as they need a superstar in New Jersey and as much as they would’ve loved to have Carmelo around for the next few years, it appeared that Anthony just didn’t want to go to New Jersey and the Nuggets continued to ask for more and more throughout the negotiations. Melo is an All-Star and would be a great piece to build a franchise around, but it didn’t make sense for New Jersey to give up their entire future for a player that has his sights set on bright lights of Madison Square Garden.

Billy King joined WFAN in New York with Joe and Evan to talk about whether or not the Nets are actually moving on from Carmelo Anthony, if he has had conversations with the Nuggets after the decision was made to pull out of the talks, whether or not he enjoys making trades, how much better the team will play now that they don’t have to deal with the Anthony talk, and if they believe they can actually land a superstar to play in new Jersey.

Whether or not they are truly moving on from the Carmelo Anthony discussions:

“We’re done. We’re moving on.”

How much conversation he has had with the Nuggets since the decision last night:

“I received a text from (Nuggets GM) Masai (Ujiri) late last night after the game and he just said basically that he enjoyed the experience. Sorry we couldn’t get anything done and good luck.”

If he enjoys trying to make trades when they can be so frustrating:

“In doing trades, that’s my job. I do enjoy trying to make a deal, but what I didn’t like about it is the fact that our players names were out there so public. Some of it was true and some of it wasn’t and that’s the part I didn’t like. They have kids, they have families, they have mothers, dads, and all that. It affects them a lot. People say well they make a lot of money and they’re still human beings. That part I regret and I’m going to meet with them before practice and tell them that. I’m going to tell them thank you because throughout all of this, they have been the most professional.”

The team playing better now that they don’t have to worry about this stuff:

“They did. I think we’ve lost some games due to this because it’s on your mind. Last night they went out and played and had fun and enjoyed the game. I’m happy for them because they were able to perform well, beat a good team at home, and we have a good home stand coming up where we can string some games together.”

How he feels about the team overall:

“I think going into this Collective Bargaining year not knowing what it’s going to be. You want to have as much flexibility and I think we have that. I think we’ll have 23 million in cap space, we have picks, and whenever the new CBA comes in, we’ll have the flexibility to make decision to better our ball club. Then the fact that we have a young Derrick Favors, Brook Lopez is really young, and the majority of our roster is really young and we’re going to add players to it. If you look at some teams and how they’ve been built through the draft, that’s how they’ve done it. Then they’ve added a player when they need be. You’ve got to get lucky in the draft but also you’ve got to add talent and sometimes young talent is the best way to go.”

Whether or not he thinks this shows that New Jersey won’t be able to land a superstar:

“Not at all. Kevin Durant is a superstar and he’s in Oklahoma City, Reggie Miller was in Indiana, when Michael (Jordan) went to Chicago, the Chicago Bulls were a franchise where you could just walk on the street and get a ticket for. He turned it into that. Sometimes you develop your own star and I don’t foresee players looking at this and saying I don’t want to play in a billion dollar building in Brooklyn at the Barclay Center. I think they’re going to be saying they’re in the Barclay Center playing there and I want to be a part of that.”

Listen to Billy King on WFAN in New York here