Nets trying to strike deal for Carmelo Anthony

The New Jersey Nets might be getting a superstar after all.

After failing to lure LeBron James, Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh to New Jersey during the free-agency sweepstakes this summer, the Nets are engaged in trade negotiations aimed at acquiring Carmelo Anthony.

A person close to the talks who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak for the team told the Associated Press on Friday that the Nets were involved in complicated talks with the Denver Nuggets regarding the small forward.

The Nuggets have offered Anthony a three-year extension valued at $65 million, but he has refused to sign it. The deal with the Nets would be contingent on Anthony’s signing the extension, Yahoo Sports reported.

The Miami Heat decided not to offer a contract to free-agent center Erick Dampier, who worked out for the team this week.

Miami decided not to sign Dampier because it already has Joel Anthony, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Jamaal Magloire and rookie Dexter Pittman signed at center.

Free-agent guard Jannero Pargo is returning to New Orleans, and the Hornets also signed forward Pops Mensah-Bonsu. Details of the contracts weren’t released.

Former NBA and Michigan State star Jay Vincent agreed to plead guilty to two crimes in a $2-million Internet scam.

Vincent agreed to plead guilty to charges of mail fraud and filing a false tax return. The deal with his signature was filed in federal court in Grand Rapids, Mich. The court filing does not list Vincent’s likely sentence. Vincent will owe at least $110,000 in unpaid taxes.

He played on the 1979 Michigan State national championship team.

ETC.

Chavez Jr. to fight in Anaheim

Unbeaten Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. will fight Alfonso Gomez in the main event of a boxing card at Anaheim’s Honda Center on Dec. 4, promoter Bob Arum told The Times.

Chavez (41-0-1, 30 knockouts) is coming off a victory by unanimous decision over previously unbeaten John Duddy in a middleweight bout in June.

Arum said a victory over Gomez (22-4-2, 11 KOs), a former entrant on the reality television series “The Contender,” would earn Chavez a shot at world junior-middleweight champion Miguel Cotto. Arum said Cotto, of Puerto Rico, has been off because of surgery on his left shoulder for what Arum described as a rotator cuff issue. Cotto will fight again in early 2011, Arum said.

The Anaheim card is also scheduled to include a world lightweight title fight between champion Humberto Soto and challenger Urbano Antillon (28-1, 20 KOs) from Maywood, a bout including unbeaten lightweight Brandon Rios (25-0, 18 KOs) from Oxnard, and a fight between super-flyweight champion Nonito Donaire (24-1, 16 KOs) of the Philippines and Volodymyr Sydorenko.

—Lance Pugmire

Russ Cochran shot an eight-under-par 64, making six birdies in a seven-hole stretch in the middle of the round and eagling No. 17, to take a one-stroke lead over defending champion Tom Pernice Jr. in the Champions Tour’s SAS Championship at Cary, N.C.

Cochran, coming off his first victory on the 50-and-over tour two weeks ago in South Korea, had the best first-round score in the history of the tournament. Pernice had a hole in one on the 188-yard 11th hole.

Bob Gilder and David Eger opened with 66s, and Nick Price and Ted Schulz followed at 67.

Bernhard Langer, the tour leader with five victories, and Fred Couples had 71s.

Fashion Trend, a gray daughter of the stakes-winning sire Petionville, roared past favored Saint Isabelle on the far turn and went on to score an impressive 51/4-length victory over that rival in the $50,000 Palomares Stakes at Fairplex Park.

Ridden by Felipe Valdez, who replaced sidelined Martin Pedroza, Fashion Trend earned $28,000 for owners Robert B. and Beverly Lewis Trust in the 11/16-mile race. She covered the distance in 1:45.54 under 119 pounds and paid $10. Saint Isabelle held on for second under David Flores. Not Here finished third in the field of six 3-year-old fillies.