Late Wednesday the “news” broke that Carmelo Anthony would “take a real hard look” at signing Denver’s generous contract extension. Like everything else Melo has said to date, Nuggets fans should take this with a huge grain of salt.

Catching up with Carmelo Anthony in Oakland in advance of the Nuggets/Warriors game, the Denver Post’s Chris Dempsey got Melo to go on the record about a possible future of staying in Denver. Among the quotable lines of note from #15 was this one:

“As the days go on, that’s something that I think about, that nothing might happen, that I’ll be here, whether I have to deal with the free-agency market or re-sign the extension here with the Nuggets.”

Unfortunately, Melo has lost all credibility with this Nuggets fan and I trust he has done so with many of you. Where there is smoke, there is fire with these things (remember Jason Kidd being coy about whether or not he’d stay in New Jersey in 2008 while everyone knew he was heading to Dallas no matter what?) and I suspect it will only be New York … with the Knicks specifically … or Los Angeles … with the Lakers specifically, that will satisfy Melo’s need to play elsewhere.

In the meantime, the Melodrama continues, wrecking more-and-more locker rooms as time goes on …

 

Carmelo Anthony Trade Talk Is Exacting a Price on Many – NYTimes.com
In a must-read from the New York Times, Howard Beck writes that at least 12 teams — 40 percent of the league — have been snared in the Carmelo Anthony intrigue at some point in the last six months.

Nuggets' Carmelo Anthony would take "real hard look" at re-signing, if no trade – The Denver Post
As noted above, Melo tells Dempsey that he might stay in Denver after all.

Paige: Oh, let's hope "Melo-Man" comes to an end – The Denver Post
Woody Paige compares the Melodrama to the sure-to-be-a-bust "Spider-Man" play taking place in New York. 

The NBA’s 3-point contest is set – Ball Don’t Lie – NBA – Yahoo! Sports
Arron Afflalo gets screwed out of a spot in the three-point shootout. I’m sure the Los Angeles fans are dying to see Daniel Gibson, Dorell Wright and James Jones instead of the hometown kid … from Los Angeles.

Andrew Bynum on Carmelo Anthony trade talk: ‘Just another rumor’ – ESPN Los Angeles
Andrew Bynum and the Lakers react to all the Carmelo Anthony trade talk. My favorite quote is from Kobe Bryant:

“If he can’t deal with that, forget about a Game 7,” Bryant said of the trade talk that was first reported by ESPN The Magazine’s Chris Broussard on Tuesday. “I don’t need to talk to him about that. He’s a big boy, he can handle himself.”