"Ron Mercer will not be here and we have learned that somebody told Mercer in Boston yesterday that we had already agreed to extend his contract," Denver general manager Dan Issel said. "We had no prior conversations with Ron or his agent."

Mercer, who will be in the final year of a contract that expires at the end of next season, reportedly said Tuesday that he would not come to Denver until a contract extension was offered.

A Boston Globe story said the Nuggets were prepared to offer the player a six-year extension.

"I think he was disappointed and I think that is why he is not here," Issel said. "He was under the impression there was going to be an extension when he got here."

Issel denied making such an offer and said there won't be one.

"We will wait until the end of next year and if he has a great year, it is going to cost us more money," Issel said. "If somebody else comes in and signs him away from us, then that is one of the chances we take. We are aren't going to do an extension."

Issel said he wasn't worried that Mercer wouldn't show up. He said he felt better after talking with him earlier in the day.

"It is our understanding that he will be in here to take his physical and the trade will be consummated," Issel said.

In exchange for Mercer and the others, the Nuggets agreed to trade Danny Fortson, Eric Washington, Eric Williams and a future first-round draft choice to Boston.

Issel said the Mercer case reminded him of what the Sacramento Kings went through a year ago after obtaining Chris Webber from the Washington Wizards.

"There were questions all summer long: Was he going to show up, was he going to play with Sacramento?" Issel said. "And he wound up being second team all-NBA."

The Celtics began shopping the 6-foot-7 Mercer last month after discovering how far apart they were on his new contract demands. Mercer, who averaged a career-high 17 points for Boston last season, can be a free agent next year, and indicated he wouldn't re-sign with Boston if he wasn't given an extension this summer.