It’s not personal, it’s business. It’s not about playing in Denver, it’s about keeping his options open for next summer.
That was essentially the line out of Carmelo Anthony after Nuggets practice today. Here are the tweets of FanHouse’s Chris Tomasson:
Melo said he would have no problem starting the season with Denver. It’s all about keeping his options open for 2011-12.
Asked if wants to still be with the Nuggets on opening night, Carmelo Anthony said, “I would love to.’' Says its all about next season.
Melo: “if (the Nuggets) come to me and say they want to trade me to a team, then we’ll discuss that when that time comes.’'
Melo also said he was never approached and asked if he would sign an extension to go to New Jersey. As we said before, this is semantics -- formally he was not, but you can be sure the backchannel conversation took place.
However, there are at least some GMs out there saying Anthony is not going to sign an extension anywhere this year and take his chances next summer. That would change if it were Chicago or New York that came a calling. But that may be moot, both of those teams will make Denver come to them, not the other way around now. Denver is the team that does not want its star to leave for nothing. As time drags on, it’s leverage slips.
Either the Nuggets and Anthony are going to cooperate or they will both lose something. Maybe they both are that stubborn and foolish.
