Carmelo Anthony Says He'll See Injured LeBron James Again With Nuggets

DENVER -- Well, there's always March 19 for Carmelo Anthony to go against LeBron James as a member of the Nuggets.

In an interview with FanHouse before Thursday's game at the Pepsi Center, the Denver forward was asked his thoughts about Miami's James sitting out against the Nuggets due to a sprained left ankle suffered Wednesday against the Clippers (photo right).

"Yeah, man, I wish he was going," Anthony said. "That would just make the game better for the fans. But health is more important than anything. So I already know, especially with ankles. He's still got three, 3 ½ more months to go in the season. We'll see him again. He'll see us.''

With a schedule not immediately handy, Anthony was asked if that's an indication he'll still be around when the Nuggets play at Miami.

"Yeah,'' Anthony said.

Turns out that game is March 19, well after the Feb. 24 trade deadline. But, obviously, there's too much confusion going on with Anthony's situation to know how long he'll be around Denver. But coach George Karl said earlier Thursday there's as much of a chance the Nuggets will have a similar cast for the entire season as making a big trade, although Karl said he hasn't gotten that from team management.

The latest rumor involving Anthony is an ESPN.com report that New York, which many believe is Anthony's preferred destination, has reached out to Memphis about possible participation in a three-team trade in which Anthony would land with the Knicks. Anthony said in the interview he didn't know anything about that report.

"I can't even watch TV or go on the Internet anymore,'' said Anthony, who is on the trading block due to having yet to sign a three-year, $64.47 million extension with the Nuggets and being able to opt out of his contract and become a free agent this summer. "I don't watch television. The only website I can go on is music websites.''

It was then joked to Anthony that the music websites are saying he'll end up in Houston.

"What?'' Anthony said. "To rap.''

There exists the possibility of Anthony going to New Jersey in a three-team trade that also would include Detroit. But that likely would require Anthony to agree to an extension with the Nets, and there's been no indication yet he is willing. Anthony could be holding out to go to New York.

On a more immediate note, Anthony had been looking forward to going against James, a player he has been linked to since Anthony was taken No. 3 in the 2003 draft, two spots after James. But James was out due to the injury suffered midway through the fourth quarter of Wednesday's 111-105 loss at the Los Angeles Clippers.

"He sprained it and it and you can see he rolled it,'' Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said before the game. "He's done that often. He says one time a year usually like that. ... We'll probably shoot for Saturday against the Bulls (in Chicago, where James would return).

"I saw (James) roll it (Wednesday) night and I saw the film. I was more surprised that he was able to finish the game. And probably as surprised as you guys that he fell out of bounds (after suffering the injury), jumped back in bounds and hit a fadeaway contested jumper from three. But (James' teammates), they have a nickname for him. They call each other human. They say he's not human in terms of injuries and lot of times he's able to retie his shoes and feel good.''

Spoelstra then was asked that, if Phoenix swingman Vince Carter has been been known as "Half Man, Half Amazing,'' is James then a "No man?''

"He's a big, strong guy so naturally you think that he's invincible,'' Spoelstra said of James, who missed his first Miami game after playing in the first 40 in his initial season with the team. "But this is a rugged league and there's a lot of bumps and bruises and sprains that happen. He's just like anybody else. You can get injured. Thankfully, it's not a major injury and we can treat it and get back to 100 percent the next couple of days.''

Nuggets coach George Karl admitted he's "happy'' James, who didn't speak to the media before the game, was out. But he said it's not ideal for fans considering this is James' only regular-season Denver appearance of the year. The team has built a number of ticket packages around the Miami game.

"If I was a fan, I would be kind of (ticked) off,'' Karl said.

Anthony also wanted to see James on Thursday. Stay tuned as to whether he'll run into him March 19 with the Nuggets.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com on Twitter@christomasson