intermission lol. Real quick. thanks to my fans. "I never change, Im too stuck in my ways"

intermission lol. Real quick. thanks to my fans. "I never change, Im too stuck in my ways"- tweeted from carmelo

hopefully carmelo stays and we can bring in the right gm, so he can bring in a dominating center so the nuggets can bring us a championship. we need some one that rebounds and plays defense consistently.

Chauncey Billups wants teammate Carmelo Anthony to stay with the Nuggets for years to come. He's just not willing to say whatever it takes to do so.

Instead, Billups will go the brutally honest route, even if it means Anthony decides not to come back to the Nuggets. Billups, the team's veteran leader, is a confidant of the Nuggets' star, and his advice will play a role in whether Anthony decides to sign a three-year, $65 million contract extension that has been on the table this summer.

"Of course my relationship is going to be more personal than business," Billups said Friday in a telephone interview from Spain, where he's playing for Team USA. "It's tough for me to speak an unbiased mind to him, because I'm in the situation.

I know what he means to the team, I know what he means to the city. So, of course, 100 percent, I want him back. As long as I'm playing I would like to finish my career playing with him. There's no question about that.

"But, at the same time, it's a thin line because I want him to be happy, and I want him to do everything he wants to do in his career and in his life. And if that doesn't involve the Nuggets, who am I to say, 'Man, that's not right?' Or, 'Maybe you should do this.' "

Anthony has one year left on his Nuggets' contract. He and Billups have had in-depth conversations this summer about Melo's status, but Billups will not discuss what was said. Anthony's only public comments on the matter came last weekend, when he said he is simply taking his time making a decision.

That hasn't stopped a deluge of speculation from across the NBA that he might be leaving.

Anthony has tried to stem the tide of speculation via Twitter, making it clear he has made no decision and no one should jump to conclusions. Billups said the Nuggets' leading scorer might have to take steps to make sure those around him aren't adding fuel to the fire by talking for him.

"It's tough, but I think that's the one thing he has to do, is whoever it is in his camp that's speaking and talking and doing whatever, he has to take that up with them and say 'Listen, where's all of this coming from?' " Billups said. "That's something that internally he has to fix.

"Honestly, I think that the publications and things are out of control. None of this stuff has come out of Melo's mouth. He has not once said he didn't want to be a Nugget. He loves Denver, he loves the Nuggets, he loves the fans. So, it's a part of him that I'm sure is eating him up a little bit because he's taken all this press, and he's not said one thing to support or to not support what they are saying. He's just trying to enjoy his summer, chill out.

"I know he's a big story in the NBA now, as far as free agency goes. Even though he's not a free agent, he's the biggest story since LeBron (James) and others are off the market now."

Billups is with the U.S. national team in Spain. They face Lithuania — and former Nuggets reserve Linas Kleiza — tonight in an exhibition in Madrid in advance of next week's FIBA World Championships, to be played in Turkey.

Nuggets management is expected to sit down with Melo some time after the team names a general manager, which it is expected to do next week. Former Suns executive David Griffin is the leading candidate.

Billups has two years left on his contract. Asked if Anthony's decision will play into what he does when his contract expires, he hedged.

"That's something that I really haven't thought about," Billups said. "But one thing that everybody knows is I'm just a winner. I want to win at all costs. I'm not the ride-it-out guy. I want to get out there, get after it and play. And I want to win as a Nugget the rest of my years. In a perfect world that's what I would want, that's what I would hope for."