NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Cross another superstar off the New Jersey Nets' wish list, and let the pursuit of Carmelo Anthony begin anew.

The megadeal to bring Anthony to New Jersey ended in stunning fashion on Wednesday night when Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov told the team to end the long, drawn-out trade talks with the Denver Nuggets.

"There comes a time when the price is simply too expensive," Prokhorov said in a news conference before the Nets faced the Utah Jazz. "I am instructing our team to walk away from the deal."

In the past two weeks, the talks had taken on a soap-opera feeling and the Russian billionaire felt it had hurt his team.