Anthony feels bad Billups caught up in trade rumors

Chauncey Billups missed the Nuggets practice yesterday, and the headache that caused that was real, his agent emphasized to Marc Spears of Yahoo.

That doesn’t mean he wants to be traded.

Billups, a Denver native, has said he wants to finish his career as a Nugget and maybe move into the front office. However, he is part of the package of players that would go to New Jersey in a Carmelo Anthony deal. And Anthony said he feels bad about that.

“The whole Chauncey situation, for me to see him in all of that speculation, it’s kind of hard for me to see him involved with that knowing what they did to get him here in Denver, knowing that this is his home, knowing that he represents the city of Denver,” Anthony said. “For him to be finally settled in, looking forward to retiring, to see him in all the stuff going on right now, I feel bad about it. But I guess that’s the business of basketball.”

Anthony and his agent have pushed to make sure more talent goes with him if he heads to New Jersey, Billups is part of that talent (and if the Nuggets are rebuilding they would want to shed Billups salary and turn the team over to Ty Lawson).

Billups has little leverage. While his agent has talked of a buyout, his contract is locked in through the summer of 2012. If anything, an extension is more likely, although if the Nets are serious about a run at Chris Paul that year they likely would not extend the then 35-year-old Billups.

That’s the business of basketball. Doesn’t mean it’s fun for all the players caught up in it.