DALLAS _ Carmelo Anthony didn't know all the details about LeBron James sounding off that the Cavaliers need to improve their personnel and get another playmaker. But that didn't stop Anthony from saying James wants to join forces with him.
"You ask me a question, do I think he would want me to play with him? Yes," Anthony said before the Knicks' morning shootaround on Wednesday. "I do think he would want me to play with him. I don't think he wouldn't. But I don't know if that comment is about me. I don't think I'm the only playmaker in the NBA."
The reigning champion Cavaliers have dropped six of their lost 10 games, including losses to the West's top two contenders in the Warriors and Spurs. On Monday, James put pressure on Cavs management to make moves to upgrade the roster in an expletive-laced interview.
A popular belief is that James was indirectly talking about Anthony, and that he wants Cleveland to bring in his good friend. Anthony said he hasn't talked to James recently.
The Knicks, who play the Mavericks on Wednesday night, are struggling and could make moves before the Feb. 23 trade deadline. But Anthony has a no-trade clause in his contract and maintains that he's focused on the Knicks and not considering playing with James in Cleveland.
"I don't think about it," Anthony said. "It's not something I think about right now, as far as me going to play with him. I don't think about that. I can't think about that right now."
Team president Phil Jackson already has been credited with helping turn the Cavaliers into a championship team by dealing J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert to Cleveland two years ago and getting little in return. It would be hard to imagine Jackson sending the Knicks' best player there now to strengthen the Cavaliers' chances of winning again.
It would be a difficult deal to pull off anyway, especially since Anthony has a 15-percent trade-kicker in his contract.
Last week, Anthony told Newsday that if management came to him and said "they want to go in a different direction, they want to start rebuilding for the future" that he would "have to consider" waiving the no-trade clause. He's not there yet.
But James said something that could apply to Anthony. He said he's going to be 33, "and I ain't got no time to waste." James has won three rings. Anthony will be 33 in May and hasn't been to the playoffs in three years.
"I don't think anybody wants to wait, to be honest with you," Anthony said. "I'm in a different situation than him. He's won, he's just coming off a championship so for him to say he'll be 33 and he don't have time to wait he might have a different type of plan, a different goal, a different mindset of winning now and taking advantage of it."
Anthony said he wouldn't be "satisfied" if he didn't win a championship before his career ended, but he also said he's not ready to chase one yet. He still hopes it happens with the Knicks.
"I don't think it would be called chasing a ring," Anthony said. "It would be looking at opportunities and situations if and when that time does come. It will be a collective effort on all fronts. Not just mine. It would be a collective effort on the organization and understanding the direction they want to go."
Anthony made it clear he hasn't had any contact with the Knicks' front office since his meeting with Jackson and general manager Steve Mills last week. He said "none" three times.
In the meeting, Anthony told them he wants to remain with the Knicks.
"It was a quick meeting," Anthony said. "That's all I can say."
Anthony said Jackson and Mills did most of the talking, and he disputed an initial report that it was contentious.
"No, not at all," he said. "It definitely wasn't heated. There were three people in that meeting so I don't know who would say it. I know it wasn't me who said it was heated or contentious. That definitely wasn't the vibe of the meeting or the conversation."
Anthony still wouldn't give too many specifics about the meeting.
"We were talking about the triangle," Anthony said. "No, I'm just kidding."
