by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni
With the trade deadline now less than a month away, and New Jersey supposedly no longer in play for his services, Carmelo Anthony‘s options have become quite limited.
And he’s understandably growing ever anxious about what the future holds for him.
As the saga drags on in Denver, Anthony says communication with the Nuggets’ front-office has become limited, and he has no clue where he’ll end up.
For Carmelo, it’s important to not only land in a place he likes (New York), because if he doesn’t, he may get “screwed” out of a lucrative $65 million extension.
The Denver Post reports:
I caught up with Carmelo Anthony, and for the first time, I really felt a sense of uncertainty from the guy. Asked where he thought he’d be traded, the Nuggets all-star said, “At this point, I really don’t know. New Jersey took that deal off the table. In order for me to consider them, I’d have to agree to the meeting. Now, it’s washed under the table.” I Asked: Are the options strictly New Jersey, New York, Chicago, Denver? Melo said, “Yeah. But I really can’t say it’s just those, because I don’t really know (what could happen).”
This, of course, is in reference to the reality that Denver could trade Melo to a team he doesn’t want to play for long-term. If that happens, then he might not sign the three-year, $65 million contract extension to play for that team. Instead, he’d opt out of his current contract and be a free agent this summer, likely signing with the Knicks. But – he would take a significant pay cut, due to the new collective bargaining agreement. I asked, “If they trade you somewhere, and you don’t sign the extension, you’re screwed …” But then, before he could answer, I justified by saying, “Well, not necessarily screwed…” But, Melo flashed a smile and said: “Screwed.”
For what it’s worth, the Nuggets are reportedly now warming up to the idea of working on a deal with the Knicks.
New York, though, seems more than happy to wait for Anthony to eventually hit the free agency market this summer.
