It was close to being a done deal but Van Exel blinked

[CeltsSteve@AOL.com]

Wednesday, February 20
 
Van Exel says trade talks down to one team
Associated Press 

DENVER (AP) _ The Denver Nuggets are in trade talks with one last team to 
unload point guard Nick Van Exel before Thursday's deadline, Van Exel said 
Wednesday. Van Exel said talks were focused on how to restructure the last 
two years of his contract. He is scheduled to earn $26.5 million in the final 
two years, covering the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons. Van Exel refused to name 
the team in negotiations with the Nuggets. 

``To the team that I would go to, I would take off a lot of money. I would be 
willing to take off 50 percent of that money.'' 

Van Exel said the Nuggets nearly had a deal with the Boston Celtics but he 
said he vetoed it because they would not pay what he wanted. The Celtics 
instead completed a five-player trade with the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. 

``It was just basically impossible for me to do that deal,'' Van Exel said. 

Earlier Wednesday, Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe said the team was 
working around the clock to trade Van Exel. 

``The phone lines are burning,'' Vandeweghe said. ``I think I'm in the same 
clothes I've been in for a week.'' Vandeweghe said he had talked with several 
teams. ``It's been difficult, there are possibilities out there. I'm not 
saying probabilities, but possibilities,'' he said. 

Van Exel went public with his demand to be traded Dec. 8. It has been a major 
distraction for the Nuggets, who had lost two straight going into Wednesday's 
game against the Utah Jazz in Denver. Any trade must be complete before the 
Thursday 6 p.m. league deadline. Van Exel has missed four games because of an 
inflamed elbow before Wednesday's game. 

Note: The following stories are the most recent wire transmissions from 
SportsTicker and other ESPN.com sources. Versions of some of these stories 
appear elsewhere on the service.

CeltsSteve