The Nuggets extended a qualifying offer to restricted free-agent guard J.R. Smith on Friday, according to NBA.com.

Denver now has the right to match any offer Smith receives from another team this summer.

Smith, 6-6, 220, has averaged 12.6 ppg while shooting .396 (306-772) from three-point range in his two seasons with the Nuggets since being acquired in a trade with Chicago in 2006.

Free agent point guard Sam Cassell has expressed interest in playing for the Nuggets, and the team could make a play for Chicago's Kirk Hinrich, according to report in The Rocky Mountain News.

Cassell wants to play one more season in the league and is likely considering the Nuggets because of his relationship with George Karl.

Having drafted Derrick Rose, the Bulls will be looking to clear out some space in their backcourt. Hinrich is expectedly by many to be traded by Chicago before the start of the 2008-09 season.

The Chicago Bulls acquired the draft rights to center Omer Asik, the 36th selection in NBA Draft 2008, in a three-team deal with the Portland Trail Blazers and the Denver Nuggets.

The 7-0, 255-pound Asik is a 20-year-old native of Bursa, Turkey.  A two-time Turkish League All-Star (2007, 2008), Asik split 30 games last year with Alpella and Fenerbahce, where he averaged 10.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg, a league-high 1.90 bpg, and 1.90 spg.  In 2007-08 Euroleague action, he set a league record for blocked shots in a game with 19 rejections.

The Bulls traded the 39th pick in NBA Draft 2008 (which turned out to be 6-6 guard/forward Sonny Weems from Arkansas) to the Denver Nuggets for Denver?s 2009 regular second-round draft pick.  Chicago then acquired the 36th selection in NBA Draft 2008 from the Portland Trail Blazers for Denver?s 2009 regular second-round pick, the New York Knicks? 2009 regular second-round pick (acquired from New York on Oct. 4, 2005 in the Eddy Curry trade), and Chicago?s 2010 regular second-round draft pick.

The Denver Nuggets have traded their first round draft selection (the 20th overall) in the 2008 NBA Draft to the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for a future protected first round draft pick, Nuggets Vice President of Basketball Operations Mark Warkentien announced today.

The Nuggets now currently have no picks in tomorrow?s draft.

Carmelo Anthony pleaded guilty Tuesday to a reduced charge of driving while impaired and was sentenced to one year of probation and twenty-four hours of community service, according to The Associated Press.

"I'm happy that it's over so I get a chance to take care of my business," Anthony said.

A more serious DUI charge was dropped by prosecutors.

Carmelo Anthony will be forced to sit out the first two games of the 2008-09 season  for driving under the influence of alcohol, a source told the Denver Post.

The Nuggets have vowed not to trade forward Carmelo Anthony this summer despite numerous rumors, according to comments made by Anthony's agent Calvin Andrews to ESPN.com.

"He's not going to be moved," Andrews said Sunday. "It's not happening. We've been given assurances from the owner on down."

Multiple sources said Saturday that Andrews, and possibly Anthony, had planned to meet with the Nuggets on Monday to discuss Anthony's future.

Carmelo is adamant about not wanting to be traded by Denver.

The Nuggets reportedly rejected a trade offer from the Pistons that would have sent Tayshaun Prince and Chauncey Billups to Denver for Carmelo Anthony, according to The Detroit Free Press.

The Nuggets want to bring Billups back to his hometown while the Pistons are looking to acquire the services of Anthony to help shake up their roster.

ESPN.com initially reported the story, also saying that the Nuggets countered the rejected deal with an offer of Allen Iverson or a package including Marcus Camby. However, the Pistons only seem interested in acquiring Anthony.

J.R. Smith does not appear to be a good fit for the San Antonio Spurs on the surface, but he may be exactly what the team needs, Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News is reporting.

The Spurs tried to acquire the high flying guard at the trade deadline in 2006 when Smith was with New Orleans, but the deal involving Brent Barry fell through at the last second.

Stephen Jackson previously had the same questionable character and was able to exist in the Spurs' environment, and has a championship to show for his efforts.

The drawback which may stop the Spurs calling Smith may be the Denver guard's defensive tendencies, which many consider to be non-existent at best.

Representatives for Carmelo Anthony will meet with Denver Nuggets' management to discuss his future with the team, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.

The meeting will take place on Monday and will discuss the possibility of a trade this offseason. Anthony is expected to attend the meeting.

The meeting is being initiated by Carmelo, who has grown tired of hearing his name mentioned in trade rumors.