Latest On Carmelo Anthony

Denials continue regarding the rumor that broke Friday of a proposed three-team deal that would send Carmelo Anthony to Cleveland, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Berman cites two league sources who told him the Knicks haven’t talked to either the Cavaliers or Celtics about the trade, which would have shipped Kevin Love to Boston and a package of players and draft picks to New York.

Anthony, who said Saturday that he wouldn’t waive his no-trade cause to make the deal possible, attracted attention earlier this weekend with comments that “it won’t sit well with me” if the Knicks miss the playoffs for a third straight season. He plans to eventually talk with his representatives from Creative Artists Agency about his future in New York, but on Saturday Anthony expressed a desire to stay in the city.

“Doing it in New York is better than doing it any place in the world,’’ Anthony said. “One in New York is better than multiple somewhere else. That was the reason I wanted to come to New York. That’s the reason I’m in New York. It just bothers me when I start hearing all these trade rumors. Nobody has talked to me. I don’t know where it comes from. Sometimes it gets to you. As a player you get tired of hearing something all the time.”

There’s more Anthony-related news as Thursday’s trade deadline draws closer:

• In addition to the no-trade clause, Anthony’s contract contains a 15% trade kicker, which means the Knicks would pay a heavy price if they deal him away. “That was something my agent really talked about,’’ he told Berman. “Knowing how few people had that, that was a big part of signing that contract. It’s security at the end of the day. You never know what could possibly happen or what it can do. All players would want that.”
• Anthony is still hoping to find another star willing to join the Knicks, Berman writes in the same piece. One possibility is the Thunder’s Kevin Durant, whom New York plans to target this summer with an estimated $19MM in cap room. Anthony said talk about star players joining forces is common around the league. “I say why not come with me,’’ he said. “When I say playing with stars, that’s conversations. Everybody has those conversations. Guys that are in my circle have those conversations. On the Olympic team, guys have those conversations — 90% of the time it never happens. The Miami thing came into fruition, but it took a lot. That’s just dreams and wishes.’’
• All parts of the proposed deal aren’t dead, according to Frank Isola of The New York Daily News, who broke the story Friday. Isola writes that the Celtics and Cavaliers have talked about a trade sending Love to Boston, and Anthony’s name was included as part of “very preliminary discussions.” Anthony would prefer to stay with the Knicks for now because he has a good relationship with owner James Dolan and he wants to keep his family in New York, which was a factor when he re-signed with the franchise in 2014.
• If Anthony ever does decide a trade is in his best interest, the Cavaliers remain a possibility, along with the Celtics and Clippers, according to Isola. Anthony owns a house in Los Angeles and has a friendship with Chris Paul.