Nuggets look to push trade deadline

Carmelo Anthony a Laker? You can forget it, especially if Denver wants Andrew Bynum in return.

The Knicks are still in the lead for Anthony, although sources close to the Nuggets say that Denver is going to continue to field offers for its scoring ace and might not move him until right before the Feb. 24 trading deadline.

"The plan is to wait until as close to the 24th as they can, and see what other teams are going to offer between now and then," a person with knowledge of the Nuggets' plans said last night. "They're in no rush."

The Bulls are seen as a potential last-minute destination for Anthony, who has listed Chicago behind New York as a preferred destination and would sign long-term to play alongside Derrick Rose and Carlos Boozer. Loul Deng or Taj Gibson could be in a package for Anthony.

Dallas and Houston are also expected to make offers. They're willing to "rent" Anthony, as his short list of teams he would sign with has never included the Mavs or Rockets.

The Lakers were linked to Anthony for the first time Wednesday, but a report of trade talks centering on the two-time defending champs sending Bynum to Denver was widely dismissed. A Laker source told the L. A. Times that the story was "inaccurate." Meanwhile, the Daily News reported that Jim Buss, the Laker VP of player personnel and son of team owner Jerry Buss rejected the proposal.

Despite Bynum's inability to stay healthy during his six-year NBA career, the younger Buss still believes that the 23-year-old New Jersey product will mature into an elite center.

"Andrew is beloved by Jim Buss, and that's that," said one source.

The Knicks had a chance to get Bynum in the 2005 draft, but passed on him because team president Isiah Thomas did not think that New York's fans would be patient with a player coming out of high school. Instead, Thomas drafted Channing Frye, now with Phoenix. Other than Bynum, the Lakers don't have the assets to land Anthony.

So where does that leave the Knicks and Anthony? With Garden chairman Jim Dolan negotiating directly with Denver owner Stan Kroenke, the Knicks are hopeful that they can get Anthony by the trading deadline and not wait until the summer to sign him as a free agent.

The Nuggets clearly want more than a package that would give them Wilson Chandler, Minnesota's Corey Brewer and a No.1 pick. At this stage, the Timberwolves are ready to make a deal. They want Knick forward Anthony Randolph, who rarely gets off Mike D'Antoni's bench, along with Eddy Curry and his expiring contract.

The Knicks and Nuggets have talked about other players changing uniforms, with one scenario having Raymond Felton going to Denver and Chauncey Billups ending up with Anthony in New York.

Team president Donnie Walsh watched practice Wednesday as the Knicks prepared for Wednesday night's game at the Garden against the Clippers. But he left the court before he could be asked about trade talks. Perhaps Walsh did not want to have to field questions pertaining to the role of Dolan and Thomas in the negotiations as he also tries to make in-roads with the Nuggets. There is no way of knowing if Walsh and Dolan/Thomas are on the same page.

At this stage, the Knicks will have to deal with the Anthony question as a major distraction. Counting the Clippers Wednesday night, they have five more games to play before the trading deadline.

"You always wonder what's going on, but you can't let it affect your game and your professionalism," said Amar'e Stoudemire, who ran but sat out the contact portion of practice in Greenburgh. "You still have a game to play. You have practice. You have teammates depending on you. So you have to continue to stay professional and continue to work.