OKLAHOMA CITY – Carmelo Anthony said he doubts Wednesday’s game against the Thunder will be his last game as a Knick, but he wouldn’t guarantee it. Because he holds all the cards with a no-trade clause, he could have declared he’s not going anywhere.
However, the flip-flopping Anthony said he’s pretty certain he will be a Knick when they face the Cavaliers on Feb. 23 – hours after the trade deadline.
“I never thought I would be anywhere else,’’ Anthony said. “You was thinking that? You was writing about that?”
Told he had given himself an out, Anthony said, “I didn’t give any indication of that.”
Anthony repeatedly has said he would consider a move if Knicks management desperately wanted to rebuild.
Asked specifically if he has told the front office he won’t waive the no-trade clause, Anthony said: “No, like I told you all before, nothing came to me, nothing came to my table for me to look at. Until that time comes, then they don’t need for me to even talk about the trade clause.”
The Post reported a week ago Anthony had told a confidant he may reject any trade – even to the Clippers – to wait out Phil Jackson, thinking Jackson may quit. However, owner James Dolan said last Friday he won’t be firing Jackson.
Presumably, Anthony still is waiting to see whether the Knicks have anything to present to him regarding a trade to the Clippers, where he would play with pal Chris Paul. However, Paul is injured and will be a free agent after the season.
Anthony seems torn and indicated the All-Star break could clear his clouded mind. He’s headed to a warm island – as long as the NBA doesn’t call him to be a replacement for injured Cavaliers star Kevin Love.
“I think everybody just needs a break, everybody is waiting for the break to decompress and re-evaluate,’’ Anthony said.
Anthony admitted he has talked to his family about the matter, but not extensively. The Knicks have held exploratory conversations with the Clippers, Cavaliers and Celtics. A source said the Knicks had just one conversation, from a while back, with the Cavaliers about Love.
Still, Anthony won’t declare he’s a Knick for life.
“You don’t know what can happen,’’ Anthony said. “I’ve seen a lot of things happen in this league over the year. I don’t know what’s going to happen or what can happen. Obviously we know what can happen over the next week. But I guess we’ll see when that time comes.”
Jackson’s desire to make trades for the future may have cooled a bit because the Knicks are in the playoff race, at three games out of the eighth seed. Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek thinks this will be the team going forward.
“I believe,’’ Anthony said. “We have [26] games left. … I believe that [we can make it].’’
Anthony was reminded that last February, he completely squashed any chances of him leaving town when a report surfaced about a three-team trade between Cleveland and Boston. Anthony said he did so because the report was erroneous.
“I squashed it because it was something me and my team hadn’t even heard about that,’’ Anthony said. “That’s why I was able to squash that.”
Anthony is no longer amused by the speculation. The Oklahoman ran a tongue-in-cheek column selling Anthony on OKC. (One positive would be GM Sam Presti doesn’t have a Twitter account.) The Thunder reportedly had some interest a few weeks ago.
“Every other day I’m on another team,’’ Anthony said. “I can’t squash all 29 of them. At this point, it’s just about letting it be and whatever happens is going to happen.
“We’re talking in circles now. I honestly think we’re talking in circles. Until something is imminent or something is worth looking at, there’s no need for me to talk about trade clause.”
Anthony has said family is one of the major factors in deciding whether he would block a trade.
“We have a conversation, but that’s not a one-day, two-day conversation,’’ Anthony said. “That’s a conversation where you really have to put everything in perspective and look at from a big picture. You can’t have that conversation in one or two conversations because it goes deeper than that.”
If he stays, Anthony would be in position to recruit Paul, who has lambasted the Knicks for their treatment of Charles Oakley. Anthony admitted the James Dolan-Oakley feud could hurt the Knicks’ luring of free agents, but said it’s not likely with the embarrassment of riches teams can pay players with the salary cap going up.
“That could be — that could be a case in some situations,’’ Anthony said. “I think the way the deals are structured now, even if you don’t want to come, there’s an opportunity for you to make more money. A lot of times players look at that, that kind of overshadows other situations. The CBA changed the game.”
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