Carmelo Anthony has spoken and he says he “never” asked to be traded.
“I’ve never said I wanted to be traded. I never once said anything about trade talk,” Anthony said Monday at Denver’s media day, according to Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post.
Of course, behind the scenes, the Nuggets are reportedly discussing a complicated four-team trade in which the Nuggets would receive Nets rookie power forward Derrick Favors, the third pick in the 2010 draft, Utah’s Andrei Kirilenko, who has an expiring contract, and two future first-round picks from the Nets, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The picks would be New Jersey’s 2011 first-rounder and the 2012 pick the Nets own from the Golden State Warriors.
Anthony has refused to sign a three-year, $65 million extension with Denver and can become a free agent in 2011.
“I’m leaving my options open,” Anthony said. “At the end of the season, I’ll sit down with my team, I’ll sit down with the Nuggets.”
He added: “I’ve been a Nugget for 7 years. This is where I started my career. Tomorrow the ball goes up and we get started.”
Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri said he was still trying to make a deal.
“What we’ve talked about is going to stay with us,” he said, according to Hochman. “We’re gonna keep talking. But Melo is a Nugget. …but it’s a challenge.”
He added: “Our goal is to be a winning team. Whatever we need to do to bring in players, we’re gonna do.
He added: “I love Melo.”
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