NEW YORK — Carmelo Anthony’s agent, Leon Rose, huddled with Knicks president Donnie Walsh Friday night at Madison Square Garden before the Kings-Knicks game.
“He just wanted to talk to me,” Walsh said. “He’s here.”
Asked specifically if they discussed Anthony, Walsh said, “No, no, no, no. I’m not talking about that. I’m going to make that real clear.”
He added: “We’re linked to Carmelo or whoever by what’s in the press. Period.”
Rose also declined to talk about what was discussed.
“I’m here to watch the game, with all due respect,” Rose said. “When there’s something to say, I’ll say it.”
Walsh also met with Bill Duffy, the agent for Anthony Randolph and Andy Rautins of the Knicks and Steve Nash of Phoenix.
Randolph is “expected” to be dealt soon for a first-round pick, a source with knowledge said.
“I had a very constructive meeting with Donnie regarding Anthony Randolph,” Duffy said by text. “Donnie stated an openness to anything that would be of benefit to the Knicks and Anthony moving forward.”
Whether that pick is eventually used in a deal for Anthony remains unclear.
In an interview with ESPN’s Colleen Dominguez, Anthony said it would be his “ultimate dream” to return home to play in the New York area.
“That’s like the ultimate dream at the end of the day,” Anthony said. “Who wouldn’t want to go back home to play?”
Anthony wouldn’t say whether he wanted to play for the Knicks or Nets, who move to Brooklyn in 2012.
“I don’t know, it’s tough for me to answer that question,” Anthony told Dominguez. “It’s tough for me to sit here and say, ‘Oh, I want to play in New York’ [or] ‘Oh, I want to play in New Jersey’ [or] ‘Oh, I want to say here [in Denver].’ ”
Anthony remains in limbo as the Nuggets, Nets and Pistons continue to hash out a potential trade that could involve as many as 13 players.
The Knicks have reportedly stepped up their efforts to land Anthony via trade, reportedly trying to involve Memphis in a deal that would send O.J. Mayo to Denver.
“I’m not commenting on any of that,” Walsh said. “I’m just not. First of all, I don’t think I should. Second of all, I wouldn’t anyhow.”
Yet he later conceded to being irritated that the Knicks continue to be linked to Anthony even though they’re off to a good start.
“Yes, I don’t understand this frenzy that we go through here about two or three times a year over these kinds of things,” Walsh said. “One minute it’s this way, next minute it’s that way. I’m assuming you guys know what you’re writing when you write it. And then when it changes, what happens?”
Walsh said his strategy remains to maintain cap room for “next year and the year after.”
If Anthony doesn’t sign a three-year, $65 million extension prior to being traded, he will become a free agent in the summer.
“We want to build this team, period,” Walsh said. “That’s what we’ve been doing.”
Walsh said he wasn’t more hesitant to give up young pieces like Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler and Landry Fields because the team is off to a strong start (22-16).
“It depends on the player, let’s put it that way,” Walsh said, referring to which player the Knicks might get in return.
Walsh said he’d also be “glad” to talk to Rose about the status of embattled center Eddy Curry, who has not played at all this season and told the New York Post he’d like to talk to Rose about his situation.
“Whatever Leon wanted to bring up, I’d be glad to talk to him about it, as far as Eddy,” Walsh said. “I’ve talked to Eddy. I had a pretty clear idea of where Eddy was.”
Walsh said that was before he read the Post story, which quoted Curry saying he was unhappy.
“I’m definitely going to talk to Leon when I get back from this trip,” Curry told the Post on the West Coast. “Maybe he has a better idea on what’s going on, but I don’t.”
