"Get me out of here": Carmelo Anthony dispels myths about his exit from Denver to join Knicks

After requesting a trade from the Denver Nuggets, NBA legend Carmelo Anthony was dealt to the New York Knicks in February of 2011. New York was widely reported to be the then-superstar forward’s top trade destination at the time. However, according to Anthony, he never planned to join the Knicks.

On “The Why with Dwyane Wade,” Anthony’s former rival and longtime friend Dwyane Wade recounted the 2011 blockbuster deal that landed Anthony in New York.

Wade noted that he was part of the Miami Heat’s newly formed Big 3 alongside co-stars LeBron James and Chris Bosh at the time. Meanwhile, the Knicks were thriving under the leadership of newly acquired star forward Amar'e Stoudemire.

Anthony, on the other hand, was the lone star-caliber player on a Nuggets team that failed to make any splashy 2010 offseason moves.

Wade asked Anthony if he had his eyes on the Knicks throughout the season leading up to the Feb. 24, 2011 NBA trade deadline. However, according to the 10-time All-Star, he never forced his way to the Knicks.

“New York never was the place, though,” Anthony said. “People think that I went in there and was like, ‘Get me out of here’ to Denver. That never was the case.”

Carmelo Anthony played his first seven-and-a-half seasons with Denver after being drafted No. 3 in the 2003 NBA draft. He is widely regarded as one of the top players in Nuggets franchise history, ranking third on their all-time scoring list (13,970 points).

However, Denver only made it past the first round of the playoffs once under Anthony’s leadership. He led the Nuggets to the 2009 Western Conference finals, where they lost in six games to the eventual NBA champion LA Lakers.

While Anthony sought a better opportunity to contend for titles with New York, he experienced similar playoff shortcomings. Over six and a half seasons, he led the Knicks to just one playoff series victory. They ultimately fell 4-2 to the Indiana Pacers in the 2013 Eastern Conference semifinals.

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Carmelo Anthony wanted to stay with Nuggets

Carmelo Anthony shared a similar sentiment regarding his 2011 trade request during a 2021 appearance on the “All The Smoke” podcast.

The former scoring champion highlighted how he wanted to remain with the Nuggets long-term. However, he felt that Denver’s front office wasn’t doing its best to put a winning team around him. Thus, according to Anthony, he had no choice but to request a trade.

“Contrary to what anybody believes, I never wanted to leave Denver,” Anthony said. “I never told people that. … But it’s like they put my back against the wall.”

Anthony noted that the franchise’s decision to let veteran forward Dahntay Jones walk in 2009 free agency particularly bothered him. Jones signed a four-year, $10.6 million contract with the Indiana Pacers, which Denver opted not to match.

Additionally, according to Anthony, the team’s front office told him that it was planning to move on from key veterans Chauncey Billups and Kenyon Martin. So, sensing that the Nuggets were on the verge of rebuilding, he asked out.