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Happy anniversary, Carmelo Anthony.

Or is it?

A year ago Tuesday, the Knicks completed a three-team mega deal to bring Anthony to New York.

Since the trade, the Knicks are 30-31. The Nuggets, on the other hand, are 36-22.

You can make a strong argument that the Knicks' record would be much worse were it not for the emergence of point guard Jeremy Lin, who has led the Knicks (16-17) to eight wins in the past 10 games. Six of those wins came with Anthony sidelined due to a strained groin.

Lin's emergence has also shown how drastically things have changed for Anthony in the past year.

Last year around this time, fans were giving Anthony the "Lin treatment" and wondering just how far he could lead the Knicks in the postseason. Now, there is concern that Anthony's return from injury will ruin the cohesion the Knicks established on offense under Lin.

With Lin running the show, the Knicks had won eight of nine with an offense predicated on ball movement. Many wondered how Anthony, who thrives in isolation, would fit in the mix.

He didn't force anything during Monday's loss to New Jersey, making four of his 11 shots and handing out six assists. Most came within the flow of the offense.

Afterward, Anthony made it clear that he didn't want to change anything the Knicks had established under Lin.

"My mindset was just to not try to come in and not do too much, try to fit in and try to play my game within the system," Anthony said. "[I want to] play the way that they've been playing the last few weeks: passing the ball, finding the open man, making the right play."

As for the trade that sent him to New York, Anthony said last month that it was too early to judge the results.

"You can't compare our team to Denver's team. Denver got five starters in that trade," he said. "Denver's a helluva team. They're one of the deepest teams in the NBA right now."

In the deal, the Knicks sent Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton and Timofey Mozgov to the Nuggets. They also dealt Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry to Minnesota.

New York acquired Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Renaldo Balkman, Anthony Carter and Shelden Williams from Denver. The also received Corey Brewer from the Timberwolves.

Neither team, of course, kept all of those pieces.

The Knicks got rid of Billups through the amnesty clause to create the cap space needed to acquire Tyson Chandler. Carter, Williams and Brewer are gone. Balkman was released to make room for J.R. Smith.

For Denver, Chandler is playing in China and Felton was dealt to Portland in a transaction that netted Andre Miller.

The Knicks had struggled to replace Billups at point guard until Lin emerged from the end of the bench to a seemingly overnight sensation.

Now, Anthony's is trying to figure out how to fit in with Lin.

"I want Jeremy to have the ball, hands down," Anthony said Monday night after going 3-for-10 in 31 minutes with Lin on the floor. "I want him to create for me, I want him to create for Amare [Stoudemire], I want him to create for everybody and still be as aggressive as he's been in the past."

After the Knicks' 119-114 double-overtime loss to Denver on Saturday, Carmelo Anthony sat in silence at his locker, in full uniform, for about 15 minutes, thinking about the events of the past week.

The Knicks (6-9) had lost four home games in the past six days, two to teams with 4-9 records at the time.

In those four games, Anthony shot a combined 35-of-105 (33 percent).

"Maybe I need to not take so many shots. I don't know," he said. "There's just a bunch of stuff that goes through my mind. Just [trying to figure] out ways to make other guys better. Should I pass it more?"

In the midst of questioning everything, Anthony accepted blame for the Knicks' six-game losing streak.

"The coaches do run the offense through me, so I'll take it. I'll take that blame," Anthony said.

He went 10-for-30 against Denver, missing 13 of his first 16 attempts.

But Anthony had his moments.

He hit his final four shots of regulation, including a 22-foot jumper with 1.7 seconds to play that sent the game to overtime.

But he couldn't muster enough in the two subsequent overtimes to get the Knicks over the hump.

Mike D'Antoni said after the game that his struggling team has a gorilla on its back right now.

It also has a star who isn't making shots.

"The shots that I've been taking, I'll take those shots every night," Anthony said after going 3-for-9 in both overtimes. "Those are shots that I work on in the gym. They're just not falling for me right now."

Anthony hasn't been the same since returning from right ankle and left wrist injuries Monday against the Magic. The Knicks are off on Sunday. Anthony said he will meet with the team's medical staff on Monday to determine whether he should sit out Tuesday's game -- and possibly more -- to allow the injuries to heal.

"I'm kind of hard-headed sometimes [when trainers tell] me to sit out games. I don't really know how to take that. But maybe it's time to re-evaluate that," he said.

Making matters worse for Anthony: With their win on Saturday, the Nuggets improved to 31-16 since the trade that sent Anthony to the Knicks. New York fell to 20-28 since the trade. Saturday's game was the teams' first since the blockbuster deal last February.

And one of the key pieces in the trade, former Knick Danilo Gallinari, torched his former club with a career-high 37 points.

Gallinari got to 37 by taking 11 fewer shots than Anthony, who right now is a star who can't shoot straight.

"When you're missing shots and they're right there, you say, 'Maybe the next one, maybe the next one.' That's kind of the mentality you have. Maybe I need to stop shooting a lot. I don't know," Anthony said. "There's just a bunch of stuff that goes through my mind. Obviously, that's the case when the shots are not falling."

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Carmelo Anthony walked into George Karl's office more than an hour before tip off on Saturday to say hello.

The player and coach hadn't talked since Anthony was dealt to New York last February.

"There's been a lot of stuff said that we needed to clear up. We had some casual talk, some grown man talk and it was good for the both us," Anthony said.

Added Karl: "I'm happy he did. I'm not saying Melo and I ever had the best relationship. But I don't think it was ever even close to what people wanted to write it out to be. I thought we always had the ability to go and talk and get things out and when things bothered me I went to him and when things bothered him he went to me."

Karl said he and Anthony talked about New York and the Knicks' recent struggles [they entered play Saturday on a five-game losing streak].

Contradicting Anthony, the coach said it was not a 'clear-the-air' conversation, though he took a shot at Anthony after the trade by saying the Nuggets didn't have to "handle what Carmelo gives you" on the defensive end after the trade.

At the time, Anthony responded in a tweet, 'Damn, are u serious. Some people never seize (sic) to amaze me. Unbelievable' and 'WHEN THE GRASS IS CUT THE SNAKES WILL SHOW.'

Karl said he had 'never felt' he had to clear anything up with Anthony during Saturday's chat.

"Melo's a good person. He's a good person at heart, deep down inside he's a good person. I think we had many good moments," Karl said. "I'm proud to say I was one of his coaches and hopefully he feels I helped him get to a higher level because I coached him."

Anthony entered play Saturday struggling with his shot, hitting just 25 of his last 75 over a three-game stretch. Karl expressed confidence that Anthony, who thrives in a half court attack, could eventually succeed in Mike D'Antoni's up-tempo attack.

But he believes there needs to be a balance struck between catering to Anthony's strengths and implementing the ball-sharing tactics of D'Antoni's offense.

"I don't think there's any question that Melo is good enough and talented enough that you've got to balance maybe the philosophies of how much you can run and how much you can play with a flow and a speed of the game and then allow him his strengths -- you cannot play away from his strengths," Karl said. "I think Mike knows that; playing to [Anthony's] strengths and also getting him to play to the team's philosophies. I don't think it's that far apart."

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How bad are things at the Garden right now?

The Knicks have lost three straight at home and five in a row overall and -- judging by the crowd's reaction on Friday night -- the fan base is getting fed up.

Chants of "Fire D'Antoni" mixed in with boisterous boos as the Knicks trailed Milwaukee by double digits late in the fourth quarter. There were even pockets of "Phil Jackson" chants and "Let's go Giants!" Everything but cheers for the Knicks, who look woeful on offense.

And you can bet the reaction will only get stronger if the Knicks continue to lose, particularly on Saturday night against the Nuggets. The Knicks and Nuggets face off for the first time since the teams agreed to a deal that sent Carmelo Anthony to New York last February.

Here are three things to keep an eye on during the game:

MELO VS. OLD MATES: Earlier this week, Anthony said he and his teammates 'can't shoot it in the ocean.' The shooting woes have only gotten worse since.

Anthony has hit just 25 of his last 75 shots in the last three games since coming back from right ankle and left wrist injuries. It's clear that his left wrist is still affecting his shot. On Friday against Milwaukee, Anthony missed 15 of his 26 attempts. He scored 35 points, doing most of his damage from the free-throw line.

He said afterward that he hasn't considered sitting out a game or two to let the wrist heal.

"I don't want to use that as an excuse for me. But I'm playing, I'm doing what i can do out there," Anthony.

He also implored his teammates to 'man up' but said he doesn't have anything to prove against Denver on Saturday.

"I spent 7 1/2 years in Denver. I did a lot out there in Denver and I have nothing to prove out there to them tomorrow night," Anthony said. "I just want to win the basketball game and I'll be satisfied."

GALLO'S BACK: Ya think Danilo Gallinari wants to play well on Saturday night? He was one of the main pieces in the Knicks' package for Anthony. And the former Knicks first-round draft pick has thrived under George Karl.

Gallinari is the Nuggets' second leading scorer at 16.2 points per game and has been one of the driving forces behind Denver's 11-5 start. Former Knicks Timofey Mozgov and Al Harrington have also played significant roles for the Nuggets, who are 30-16 (playoffs included) since the Anthony trade. The Knicks are 20-27 since the deal.

MISSING THE POINT: As my colleague Jared Zwering pointed out in a story earlier this week, the Knicks are struggling to guard opposing point guards. They'll have their hands full on Saturday against Denver's Ty Lawson. Lawson is leading Denver with 16.4 points per game and 6 assists. The latest lead guard to do damage against the Knicks was Brandon Jennings, who torched them for 36 points on Friday in the Bucks' win.

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The Denver Nuggets have adapted well to life without Carmelo Anthony.

They are 28-12 since the trade and off to a 10-5 start this season. They have the fouth-best offense in the league based on offensive efficiency.

The Knicks? Not so much. They are 20-22 since the deal and struggling at 6-8 so far this season. Their offense is stuck in the mud, ranked 23rd in the league based on points per 100 possessions.

Mike D'Antoni was asked about the vast difference in each team's record since the trade.

"I think it's an awkward contrast just because we're still filling up holes behind that trade," the coach said, agreeing with a reporter's description of the trade. "…. I think the franchise is very rich with talent, very good; it's very solid. I'm really happy with the direction it's going. We don't want [the current struggles] to happen. We'll come out of this funk and we'll start turning it around and we'll play well. And we got some really good players and I think that's what you've kind of got to look at."

Denver comes to town for the first time since the trade on Saturday.

In the trade, the Knicks sent Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton and Timofey Mozgov to the Nuggets. They also dealt Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry to Minnesota.

New York acquired Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Renaldo Balkman, Anthony Carter and Shelden Williams from Denver. The also received Corey Brewer from the Timberwolves.

Neither team, of course, kept all of those pieces.

The Knicks got rid of Billups through the amnesty clause to create the cap space needed to acquire Tyson Chandler. Carter, Williams and Brewer are gone. Balkman is still on the roster in a reserve role.

For Denver, Chandler is playing in China and Felton was dealt to Portland in a transaction that netted Andre Miller.

The Knicks have struggled to fill the hole at point guard since they let go of Billups, which is evident in their poor assist ratio [they ranked 23rd in assist ratio entering play on Friday].

The Ty Lawson-led Nuggets, on the other hand, lead the NBA in assist ratio, which measures the percentage of possessions that end in an assist.

Amare Stoudemire was asked about the Knicks' poor performance since the trade, in comparison to Denver's. He didn't seem to alarmed; he believes the Knicks will improve with time.

"We'll continue to get better," he said. "It's just a matter of us implementing our will and implementing that offensive strategy. And once we do that we'll become a much better team. Right now, defense is ahead of our offense."

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter.

New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony missed Thursday's practice due to an unspecified family issue.

But he will play Friday night against the Milwaukee Bucks.

"He was excused (for) a family matter. He'll be ready for tomorrow," coach Mike D'Antoni said on Thursday.

Anthony left Madison Square Garden without speaking to reporters after the Knicks' loss to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday.

A team spokesman said Anthony left because of the family issue.

D'Antoni didn't address Anthony's issue but said he wouldn't have any trouble focusing on the court Friday.

"He's good," D'Antoni said.

The Knicks host the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.

Saturday night's game at the Garden would be Anthony's first against the Nuggets since he was traded from Denver to New York last February.

Anthony has been battling a right ankle sprain and left wrist injury.

He aggravated the ankle injury in Monday's loss to the Magic but was on the court Wednesday against the Suns. Anthony shot only 5-of-22 for 12 points, however, in the 91-88 loss.

In his last two games, Anthony has hit just 28.5 percent of his shots (14-for-49). He said after Monday's game that his shot is 'flat' due to the wrist injury.

Despite Anthony's struggles from the floor, D'Antoni said he has no problem with his star small forward's shot selection.

"In his mind, every shot that goes up, he's going to try to make it. You have to respect that," the coach said. "If it becomes an issue, then we'll see. We'll work through it."

The Knicks (6-8) have lost four straight games.

On Wednesday, they scored just 88 points against a Phoenix Suns team that had allowed its last four opponents to score at least 100. New York shot 37 percent from the field against Phoenix and ranks 23rd in the league in offensive efficiency, a measurement of points scored per 100 possessions.

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter.

Every weekday morning throughout the season, ESPNNewYork.com will tackle a burning question about the Knicks in our "Opening Tip."

Today's Burning Question: Was the Carmelo Anthony trade better for New York or Denver?

Here are the facts: the Knicks are two games under .500 [20-22] in the regular season since the Carmelo Anthony trade. [Six games below if you count their four-game sweep against Boston in the first round of the playoffs.]

The Nuggets are 16 games over .500 [28-12] in the regular season since the trade. [13 games over if you count the postseason].

Let's look back at the deal: The Knicks sent Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton and Timofey Mozgov to the Nuggets. They also dealt Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry to Minnesota.

New York acquired Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Renaldo Balkman, Anthony Carter and Shelden Williams from the Denver. The also received Corey Brewer from the Timberwolves.

Neither team, of course, kept all of those pieces. The Knicks got rid of Billups through the amnesty clause to create the cap space needed to acquire Tyson Chandler. Carter, Williams and Brewer are gone. Balkman is still on the roster in a reserve role.

For Denver, Chandler is playing in China and Felton was dealt to Portland in a transaction that netted Andre Miller.

The Nuggets come to town Saturday for the first time since the Anthony trade. And they will come to town with a higher winning percentage than New York.

The Nuggets are 10-5 this season after topping the Sixers in overtime on Wednesday. They've won two straight. The Knicks, on the other hand, have lost four in a row and are 6-8. Both teams play one game before Saturday's showdown.

The Knicks' biggest issue at the moment on the offensive end.

Mike D'Antoni's club ranks 22nd in offensive efficiency, measured by points per 100 possessions. The Nuggets, on the other hand, rank fifth in that stat. And the teams are nearly identical when measured by defensive efficiency -- the Knicks allow 99.1 points per 100 possessions and the Nuggets allow 99.2 per 100.

Which leads us to our question:

All things considered, who got the best of the deal? Denver or New York? And when it's all said and done, which team will ultimately come out as a winner in this trade?

Let us know in the comments section below.

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter.

One casualty of the Knicks 66-game schedule is their annual trip to Denver.

The Knicks travel to nine West Coast cities this season. The Mile High city isn't one of them.

To ex-Nugget Carmelo Anthony, that's unfortunate; he said on Wednesday that he'd' "love to" go back to play his old team.

It's hard to believe Nuggets fans would share the same sentiment.

Anthony was dealt to New York last season in a blockbuster trade before the February deadline. He refused to sign an extension with the Nuggets and basically forced the team to deal him to the Knicks, which was said to be one of the only teams with which he'd sign an extension.

"I would love to go back and play there [in Denver]," Anthony said on Wednesday night. "The reaction I would get; who knows? I might get some boos, I might get some claps. But it would have been fun just to get back there knowing that I spent 7 1/2 years of my career there, started my NBA career there. I had some great times there, some great games, some great seasons, the fans were great. So I would have loved to go back and play in that arena."

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter.

With the first two weeks of the NBA season cancelled due to the lockout, a couple of entertaining home matchups (Miami, Oklahoma City) have been wiped off the Knicks' schedule. David Stern said with near certainty that games would not be made up.

If no other games are cancelled (and that's a big IF), the Knicks would open the season at Denver on Nov. 16 -- an intriguing matchup given last February's blockbuster trade between the Knicks and Nuggets.

The NBA could, of course, choose to reconstruct its schedule upon resumption of the season.

Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups would be playing in Denver for the first time since the trade. The Knicks would also face former first-round draft pick Danilo Gallinari and reserve center Timofey Mozgov. Gallinari is currently playing in Italy but is expected to return to the Nuggets if the lockout is settled. But Gallinari and Mozgov will likely be the only former Knicks left from the four that were originally traded.

Wilson Chandler will be playing in China and reportedly cannot return to the NBA during the Chinese Basketball Association season. Raymond Felton was dealt to Portland.

The game in Denver is the first of six straight on the road for the Knicks. Their first home game would be Nov. 28 against John Wall and the Wizards.

Here is a list of the Knicks games that have been cancelled due to the lockout:

Nov. 2: vs. Miami
Nov. 5: @Milwaukee
Nov. 6: @Detroit
Nov. 8: vs. Oklahoma City
Nov. 9: @ Atlanta
Nov. 12: vs. Indiana
Nov. 14: @ Utah

The Post-Melo Nuggets entered the weekend at 5-1, a record that makes Carmelo Anthony smile.

Anthony said Saturday that his former team's success "takes the pressure off" of him for his role in the three-team, 13-player deal that sent him to New York. He likely would have faced greater scrutiny if the Nuggets struggled in the aftermath of the blockbuster trade.

"I watch the games. I see they're doing well," Anthony said. "That's good. That takes the pressure off of me man. Just this whole situation it worked out for both organizations."

Many in Denver were critical of Anthony for the way he handled his contract situation this season.

He declined the Nuggets' three-year, $65 million contract extension offer in the offseason, leading to months of speculation about his future.

The Nuggets completed a three-team trade with the Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb. 22 that sent Anthony and Chauncey Billups to the Knicks, which to seemingly put an end all of the MeloDrama.

But Anthony and Nuggets coach George Karl had a mini war of words two days after the deal was completed.

On Thursday, Anthony wrote a letter to Nuggets fans on his personal website expressing "gratitude" and "appreciation" for the fan base that supported him for 7½ seasons.

"They allowed me, a 19-year-old, to come in and lead that team, that organization and that city to where it's at right now," Anthony said Saturday. "So I just wanted to show them that I really appreciate that."

Anthony called his decision to accept a trade to the Knicks and sign a three-year, $65 million extension a "business" move that had nothing to do with his feelings for Denver or Nuggets fans.

The Nuggets received four regulars from Mike D’Antoni’s rotation in the deal: Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler and Timofey Mozgov.

Gallinari is sidelined with a broken toe and is expected to return in 7-10 days, according to reports.

Chandler, starting in place of Gallinari, has averaged 14.4 points and four rebounds in his last five games. He the Nuggets with 16 points in their win over Charlotte on March 2.

Felton is serving as a backup to starting point guard Ty Lawson. He had 16 points and seven assists in 30 minutes off the bench in a win over Atlanta on Feb. 28.

Mozgov, meanwhile, has yet to crack Karl’s rotation.

D'Antoni said on Friday that he hasn’t had a chance to watch his ex-players. The reason? Denver's games were on television late at night. Way too late for a self-described "old man" like D’Antoni to watch.

In a carefully-worded statement released on Sunday, Madison Square Garden Chairman James Dolan, Knicks president Donnie Walsh and coach Mike D'Antoni said that they were going to do what's best for the "long-term success" of the franchise.

We asked long-forgotten forward Anthony Randolph if he envisioned himself as a part of the long-term success of the team.

"Honestly I kind of don’t know where I fit right now," Randolph said on Monday. "Like I said, I’m just trying to work my way into the rotation and if that doesn’t happen then just keep on working and hopefully something will change, you know?"

Randolph was viewed by some as a regular part of D'Antoni's rotation when he came over from Golden State in the David Lee sign-and-trade deal. But he has been mostly buried on D'Antoni's bench this year.

The 21-year-old has appeared in just 17 of the Knicks' 54 games thus far.

His name has been mentioned in the Knicks most recent package to land Carmelo Anthonyfrom Denver. According to reports, the Knicks would send Randolph and Eddy Curry to Minnesota in exchange for a first-round pick that they'd ship to Denver.

Randolph, who is averaging 2.1 points and 2.4 rebounds, says he hasn't been affected by the rumors.

"Stuff like that is part of the business. All I can do is focus on getting better," he said. "I’m going to keep working on my game enough to where I can get on the floor."

TURIAF TURNS TO ROSETTA STONE: Ronny Turiaf jokingly told reporters he couldn't talk after practice on Monday because his English wasn't that strong.

Turiaf, of course, speaks perfect English. It was his polite way of saying he didn't want to talk about 'Melodrama on Monday.

"After Thursday (the NBA trade deadline), my English will get better," he said, before adding, "I'm using Rosetta Stone!"

NEWARK, N.J. -- Jason Kidd got his first look Saturday at the temporary home of his former team, and he couldn't help but wonder how long the building with a picture of Martin Brodeur on the side will remain the temporary home of the New Jersey Nets.

After all, Kidd was with the Nets back when they were talking about making their move to Brooklyn by 2007.

Now, four and a half years later, the new arena in Brooklyn is no more than a jumble of construction equipment, steel beams and poured concrete, still a long way from completion -- although the Nets insist it'll be ready for the start of the 2012-13 season.

In the meantime, the Nets are toiling in a building so cold that Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle took one look at the industrial strength propane space heaters in the hallway outside the visitors locker room at the Prudential Center and said "Look, the back of the Batmobile."

"Unless it’s built, you can’t believe it. That’s just the nature of the beast," Kidd said. "They’re saying it takes two years. Well, I heard the same thing when I was here. I don’t know how long I’ve been gone (35 months), but you can see how long it takes for things to be built. And if it’s not built, they’re gonna be playing here. I don’t know if Newark is an attraction for a star player."

Consider that quote part of the eulogy on the Carmelo Anthony-to-New Jersey Nets trade that died a sudden death earlier this week when Mikhail Prokhorov pulled the plug on the three-team trade talks between the Nets, Nuggets and Pistons. (Prokhorov was in attendance Saturday night and extended an invitation to Mark Cuban, the man who earlier this season called him a derogatory euphemism for a cat, to watch the game together from Prokhorov's suite. Cuban visited Prokhorov at halftime.)

Anthony is trying to leverage his way into being traded to the New York Knicks, and his distaste for the very notion of signing an extension with the Nets was one of the factors that ultimately led to the deal's demise. As outlined in this news story by ESPN colleague Michael Mazzeo, Kidd said he has not spoken with Anthony about his trade options. But if he had, he'd have advised him to stay in the Western Conference if he values winning a championship over living in a large metropolis. "In the West, everyone went East last summer," Kidd said. "Dirk was the only one who stayed."

Lots of news out there today regarding the New York Knicks' increasing chances and the New Jersey Nets' decreasing chances of trading for Carmelo Anthony, ranging from a report of a supportive text message sent from Amare Stoudemire to Anthony to a report saying the Knicks have a 50-50 chance of getting Anthony to a report saying Anthony's wife, LaLa Vazquez, will hold very little sway in the ultimate resolution of the Melodrama.

As I first reported on Dec. 12, Anthony has made it known to the Nuggets that if he is traded, he will not agree to sign the $65 million extension that is on the table unless he is traded to the New York Knicks. I have stood by that report ever since, not wavering in my subsequent reporting, nor in every chat I have done over the past 30 days, nor in my "Things that make you go Hmmmmmm' blog post from Monday, nor yesterday in my blog post about the Nicolas Batum factor. As ESPN colleague Chris Broussard is reporting in his news story today, nobody has been told by Anthony that he is agreeable to a trade that would send him to New Jersey.

This all means the Knicks could still be in the catbird seat here unless Anthony warms to the Nets, or if the Nuggets decide to trade him to a team, such as Houston, that would be happy to use him as a rental for the rest of this season and then use him in a sign-and-trade over the summer (if sign-and-trades actually exist in the new collective bargaining agreement) if Anthony indeed opts out of the final year of his contract and becomes an unrestricted free agent.

So now it's time to take a look at what the Knicks might be willing to give up in a deal to acquire Anthony, and we'll proceed forward with this cautionary disclaimer just so everybody is perfectly clear on one thing: The following is all speculative.

First things first: New York is never going to be able to match the bundle of assets (Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, at least two No. 1 picks) the Nets are willing to give up, but they do have the means to acquire a draft pick -- Donnie Walsh has said so himself, publicly -- that would give the Nuggets one of the things they want from any Anthony deal.

So let's assume the Knicks can trade Anthony Randolph for a No. 1 pick, and let's postulate they would be willing to throw in their own first-round pick in 2014 (NBA rules prohibit them from trading their 2011 or 2013 picks because they have already traded their 2012 pick to Houston) to give the Nuggets a face-saving pair of first-rounders.

What else would they need to put into a fair deal? Or an unfair deal?

You have to start with Wilson Chandler, for two reasons: He has established himself as a better trade chip than Danilo Gallinari, and he is due to become a restricted free agent next summer with a price tag that continues to rise with each strong game he plays. If the Nuggets held onto Anthony past the trade deadline and the Knicks then wanted to get far enough under the salary cap next summer to sign Anthony, they'd either have to renounce their rights to Chandler, or trade at least one other player (probably two) to create enough room to give Anthony a max deal and Chandler a fair-market deal.

The next player you have to factor in is Landry Fields, the rookie shooting guard who not only is the second-leading rebounder on the Knicks, but also leads all NBA guards (not just rookies, but all NBA guards) in rebounding. Would the Knicks consider him expendable if it got them Anthony?

The third factor is Eddy Curry, and he will be a factor in any Knicks-Nuggets deal because the teams need his expiring $11.3 million contract to make the salaries match within 125 percent of each other, thereby complying with NBA trade rules.

So here are three trade ideas, viewable through the ESPN Trade Machine, which take a look at what the Knicks might surrender in what would be (through the eyes of the Knicks) a bad trade, a fair trade, and a robbery trade.

BAD TRADE FOR KNICKS:

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=4z3k964

Again, this trade would also include two No. 1 picks, one through an A. Randolph trade, the other the Knicks' own pick in 2014, and would pretty much gut the Knicks' depth. (Walsh has been firm in insisting he will not gut the roster in any trade.)

The resulting lineup/depth chart:

C: Stoudemire, Ronny Turiaf, Timofey Mozgov.

PF: Anthony.

SF: Gallinari, Shawne Williams.

SG: Bill Walker, Kelenna Azubuike, Roger Mason Jr., Andy Rautins.

PG: Raymond Felton, Toney Douglas.

Analysis: This deal is too pricey, takes away too much rebounding and leaves very, very little coming off the bench -- even if coach Mike D'Antoni started Turiaf at center, Stoudemire at 4, Anthony at 3 and Gallinari at 2.

FAIR TRADE FOR KNICKS:

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=4n79fhl

This trade would also include the Knicks' 2014 1st-round pick, plus a second-round pick in 2011, plus some cash.

The resulting lineup/depth chart:

C: Turiaf, Mozgov.

PF: Stoudemire, Randolph.

SF: Anthony, Williams, Walker.

SG: Chandler, Azubuike, Mason Jr., Rautins.

PG: Felton, Douglas.

Analysis: The Knicks lose all of Fields' intangibles, plus his rebounding, but they get to keep Chandler (and his Larry Bird rights) and move him back to his natural position instead of using him at power forward as they've been doing for much of this season. Felton and Douglas could continue to play in tandem in the backcourt, making for an 8-man rotation in which Williams, Walker and Douglas would continue to be the main subs.

ROBBERY FOR KNICKS:

This deal also includes a first-round pick in 2014, a second-round pick and $3 million of Jim Dolan's money.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=4vccrjn

The resulting lineup/depth chart:

C: Stoudemire, Turiaf, Mozgov.

PF: Anthony, Chandler, Randolph.

SF: Gallinari, Williams, Walker.

SG: Fields, Rautins.

PG: Felton, Douglas.

Analysis: A trade this lopsided could only happen if the Knicks lowballed the Nuggets and refused to budge, daring Denver to trade Anthony to a team that would use him as a rental.

Again, those three trades listed above are purely speculative, and if you want to go to the ESPN Trade Machine yourself and play around, you can have all sorts of fun killing time between now and the Feb. 24 trade deadline.

You can even come up with three-team deals like this one that you could argue make some sense for all three teams.

A key potential piece of the Carmelo Anthony trade puzzle will be in action tonight, and we're not talking about anybody who will be playing for the Denver Nuggets or the New York Knicks (or the New Jersey Nets, for that matter, who will not be playing as they travel to Phoenix).

That player is Portland Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum, who has been on the periphery of the MeloDrama reports for weeks -- and for good reason: Sources say he is one of the main players the Denver Nuggets want to ultimately land if/when they finally decide what they are going to do with Anthony.

The Nuggets are by no means the only NBA team with interest in Batum, a 22-year-old small forward from France averaging 11.1 points and 4.5 rebounds. But the Nuggets could have the means to acquire him if their talks with the New Jersey Nets ever come to fruition, because the Trail Blazers would only consider trading Batum if they were getting back a comparable player plus a likely lottery pick, and the Nets have offered their own No. 1 pick (along with different combinations of No.1 picks owed to them in 2011 and 2012 by the Lakers, Rockets and Warriors) in their efforts to acquire Anthony from Denver.

So if the Nuggets acquired the rights to an unprotected Nets' pick, the Blazers would be willing to listen to what else Denver would add to a potential trade for Batum.

One league source told ESPN.com that acquiring Derrick Favors and Batum is the "grand slam" that Nuggets general manager Masai Ujiri would like to hit, but he remains handcuffed by Anthony's preference for a trade to the New York Knicks. As I reported last month, Anthony has made it known to the Nuggets that if he is traded, he will not sign his $65 million contract extension with any team other than New York. The source said Anthony has steadfastly maintained that stance in his recent discussions with Nuggets officials, despite the Nets being told that Anthony would sign the extension with them if he is traded to New Jersey.

Another league source said Knicks officials were perturbed to hear that Anthony was being told they were "dragging their heels" in their efforts to acquire Anthony. (Which could lend some sort of an explanation to the origins behind the latter part of this quote from Anthony after practice Monday in Denver): "Who wouldn't want to play in New York?" Anthony said. "I told you that last year. I think that's how all this stuff started, by me making that comment. New York is playing well right now. I don't think they're looking at me, they don't want me to come in here and mess what they have up. That's what I've read."

Someone needs to ask Anthony where he read that, because I do not believe it has been written. The Knicks remain very much interested in acquiring Anthony, but right now all they can do is wait for the Nuggets to re-engage them in further trade talks.

Good morning. Like most days, the sun rose in the East today, and there was a bunch of news on the Carmelo Anthony trade front.

News, but no trade.

A New Jersey-Denver-Detroit megatrade is indeed in the works, with the Nets extraordinarily confident that Anthony will agree to a deal sending him to Newark, where he would team with Chauncey Billups (maybe), Richard Hamilton, Brook Lopez and Kris Humphries to form a starting five that should have a decent shot at competing for the No. 8 seed in the East, after which Billups will turn 35, Hamilton will turn 34, and another season will be spent in purgatory while the Nets cross their fingers and pray that their new arena in Brooklyn (originally scheduled to open more than five years ago) will be ready to go in the fall of 2012.

Things that make you go "Hmmmm"?

That'll serve as the preliminary question, and here are five more follow-up questions to ponder as we go through our respective Mondays awaiting definitive word from Anthony himself on whether or not he'll agree to sign the three-year, $65 million contract extension that will lock him up through the 2014-15 season.

Question No. 1: Will the trade happen?

Possibly yes, possibly no. But when Anthony was asked after last night's loss to New Orleans whether he believed he had played his last game for the Nuggets, he uttered the same phrase five times: "Not at all. Not at all. Not at all. Not at all. Just not at all." Pressed on whether that means he hasn't agreed to sign the extension with the Nets, he replied: "I haven't heard anything on that. It's just been speculation as of right now. Masai (Ujiri, Denver's executive vice president of basketball operations) and Josh (Kroenke, the Nuggets president) are not even here. So I don't see that happening.'' Not happening for how long, Carmelo? "I'm just saying I don't see it happening right now.''

Question No. 2: What is the key factor holding up the trade?

The Nets need to get a commitment from Anthony that he'll sign the extension, and they received word Sunday (not the first time they've been told this) that Anthony was amenable to the deal. But did they hear that from Anthony himself? Or from his representatives, Leon Rose and William Wesley? Because at the end of the day, no matter how many people in Anthony's camp are telling him and/or pressuring him to sign off on the deal, it still comes down to whether Anthony himself says "Yes" or "No."

Question No. 3: What do the Knicks think of all this?

They are best described as flabbergasted, for the following reasons: The know they are Anthony's preferred destination, and they are flummoxed by the notion that Anthony would give up all his leverage in early January with the trade deadline still six weeks away, postulating that the fatigue from all the drama and the pressure from those in Anthony's camp may have worn him down. They also are perplexed as to why Anthony's representatives are pushing for a trade to a destination where their client does not want to go.

Question No. 4: Why would Rose and Wesley push for a trade to the Nets when the Knicks are their client's preferred destination?

Good question, and there is no clear answer. But here is something to consider: Anthony signed his current contract when he was represented by BDA Sports, which continues to collect a commission on Anthony's salary, meaning CAA (Rose and Wesley's agency) has not made a dime off Anthony's salary since wooing him to join their megastar client list, which includes LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Chris Paul. If Anthony agrees to the New Jersey trade and signs his extension, he becomes a revenue producer for CAA (the industry standard is for agents to collect 4 percent of their client's salary).

Question No. 5: What will Anthony do?

No definite answer for that one, either. But consider this: One of the players Anthony would be traded with, Chauncey Billups, wants no part of the Nets, and he has presumably made this known to the player who sits across from him in the Nuggets locker room. Another player who would end up in New Jersey, Richard Hamilton, is also repped by Rose and Wesley, and it's fair to say Hamilton would prefer to be anywhere but Detroit, where he has lost his starting job and logged just 19 and 18 minutes in the Pistons' last two games. If he agreed to go to the Nets, Anthony would be in a starting five with Lopez, who grabbed just one rebound in a loss to Milwaukee on Saturday night in which Andrew Bogut did not play and Ersan Ilyasova started at center for the Bucks. The notion that he'd be a part of a championship-contending team? Preposterous.

So we'll wait and see what happens.

And if you want to discuss the matter further, I'll be available to do just that in my weekly NBA chat, which begins at 2 p.m. EST.