10:10am: Anthony says he doesn't want to be traded and that he supports D'Antoni, tweets Iannazzone.
9:45am: Al Iannazzone of Newsday hears most Knicks players aren't upset with D'Antoni, and are more bothered by Anthony not buying into the coach's system (Twitter link).
8:44am: Leon Rose, Anthony's agent, tells Frank Isola of the New York Daily News that reports of his client wanting out of New York are "total nonsense" and "laughable" (Twitter link).
7:29am: With the Knicks in the midst of a six-game losing streak, still winless in March, there's at least one team executive who would like to trade Carmelo Anthony, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. But MSG Chairman James Dolan doesn't intend to trade any Knicks today or tomorrow.
"He said he's not trading anyone," said a source who has direct contact with Dolan. "He said it's up to the coach to figure it out."
For the coach, Mike D'Antoni, "figuring it out" may not be so easy. Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reports that D'Antoni has lost the Knicks' locker room during the team's current losing streak.
"The players like Mike as a person," a source said. "They think he's a good guy. But he doesn't have the respect of the team anymore."
According to Broussard, players are questioning D'Antoni, complaining about playing time, and confused about the coach's offensive and defensive schemes. Sources close to the situation tell Broussard that some players, including Anthony, have strayed from the system, mixing in some of their own plays with D'Antoni's and creating a "mess."
"Half the team is trying to do what coach says and the other half is doing something different," one source said. "Then it spills over to the defensive end because players are (ticked) off about somebody taking a bad shot."
During the Knicks' current slide, plenty of observers have questioned whether Anthony and D'Antoni can coexist on this Knicks squad, speculating that one will have to go sooner or later for the team to reach its full potential. Marc Berman writes about this topic in his latest column for the New York Post, noting that the player and coach talked last night in an attempt to work things out. However, before that discussion, 'Melo told a confidant that he might prefer a trade out of New York, and only wanted to remain a Knick if D'Antoni didn't return next season, according to Berman.
I can't imagine the Knicks will blow things up before tomorrow's trade deadline. The current coaching staff and roster should have until the end of the season to try to right the ship, but the team could definitely consider major changes this summer if the situation doesn't improve.