Will Carmelo Anthony be a Knick after Thursday's trade deadline?
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — The practice was over, and as the Knicks players streamed to the locker room, some stragglers putting up shots, Carmelo Anthony sweated through a few sprints and then took a seat in the corner of the team’s practice facility and sat alone.
Was he taking one last look around? Weighing his options? Or simply taking the seat closest to the cooler of drinks?
Anthony insisted he didn’t anticipate a departure from the Knicks. The team was headed to the airport for their Wednesday afternoon flight to Cleveland, and Anthony said he expected to be on the plane, and napping peacefully at Thursday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline, and then in uniform at 8 p.m. Thursday when the Knicks took the court to face the Cavaliers.
“Just like any other day,” Anthony said. “I don’t think that’s something that I’m worried about or thinking about at this time. If something is going to happen it’s going to happen. I haven’t heard anything as of right now, so that’s not something that I’m concerned about.”
Of course, Anthony is one of just three players in the NBA who has a no-trade clause in his contract so even if the Knicks want to move him - and they have made little secret of their efforts to find a place to move his contract - he has the final say on whether he would go or not.
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As Knicks president Phil Jackson has delivered not-so-subtle prodding at Anthony to try to get him to waive the clause, Anthony has answered the questions every day and believes nothing right now is there for him to even consider.
“Yeah, of course. I’m sure that I’ll know, that I’ll have information as it starts unfolding, if something unfolds,” he said. “As of right now nothing is on the table right now.
“I would have to really look at it. But like I said there’s nothing that’s come across. So until something is imminent, something is of some substance, then it’s not something that I’m thinking about.”
With a 23-34 record, the Knicks seem poised - panicked? - to make a move of some sort.
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Derrick Rose, with an expiring contract, has been the subject of rumors, including a possible deal to Minnesota to reunite with his old Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. Rose did not participate in the scrimmage, sitting on the sidelines with banged-up Joakim Noah. Brandon Jennings and Courtney Lee (who was not with the team, which reported that he was sick and would meet them in Cleveland) have also garnered interest from other teams.
Anthony has been shopped since he and Jackson hit a new low in their relationship in mid-January when a story surfaced from Jackson’s pal, Charley Rosen, that Anthony believed represented Jackson’s thoughts - including the criticism that he had outlived his usefulness in New York.
At that point Anthony, for the first time since arriving in New York, said he would be willing to hear from the front office if he wasn’t wanted. But he has also dug in his heels, unwilling to just give Jackson freedom to move him.
“I mean, I think, as far as understanding, I think both parties are very much understanding of each other, myself and the front office,” Anthony said. “I think they know and understand how I feel and what I'm thinking, and I think I know what they're thinking. I try to figure that out. But those guys understand and know how I'm feeling, what's on my mind, and what I would like to see happen.”
The thought is that he might be amenable to a move to the Clippers, where his friend, Chris Paul, is the point guard, or possibly Cleveland where he could unite with LeBron James. The Celtics have also been engaged by the Knicks in talks.
“As of now. I haven’t heard anything,” Anthony said. “I haven’t seen anything other than what’s on social media. But other than that nobody has reached out to me, nobody has called me, nobody has called my team. That’s why I’m not too concerned about it.
“I’m relaxed. At 3:01 hopefully I’ll be sleeping, taking a nap, getting ready for the game. But I’m relaxed. I’ve never allowed that talk to kind of interfere with what I have going on as far as playing basketball. I think about it. I think everybody thinks about it. But as far as letting it seep in and allowing it to take over, I haven’t allowed that.”
Steve Popper writes for The Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Twitter @StevePopper