Clippers coach and general manager Doc Rivers removed one potential obstacle to his team trading for Carmelo Anthony, saying he would deal his son, Austin Rivers, if he had to.
Rivers likely would be the centerpiece of an Anthony trade.
Knicks president Phil Jackson, GM Steve Mills and coach Jeff Hornacek met with Austin Rivers, 24, in Orlando during the summer league last July when he was a free agent. The Knicks were outbid for the combo guard and they instead settled on Courtney Lee.
According to an ESPN report, to make it happen, the Clippers and Knicks would need a third team to take Jamal Crawford’s long-term contract and Anthony would have to waive his no-trade deal. The Knicks are looking to get younger by rebuilding and Crawford is 36 with a new four-year pact. J.J. Redick, 32, is another player with a sizeable contract whom Jackson likes.
Anthony, who was denied a bid to the All-Star Game when reserves were announced Thursday, said before the Knicks’ 110-107 victory over the Hornets on Friday he still hadn’t heard a peep from Jackson and Mills since a meeting last week.
“No. I tell you that every single day,’’ Anthony said.
Anthony added he didn’t want to discuss the prospect of going to the Clippers.
“I’m about to get ready for the game,’’ Anthony said.
After the Knicks’ victory, Anthony gave a telling response on how he’s dealing with all the trade furor and his feud with Jackson, admitting it’s almost impossible to get away from it.
“Yeah, [being] Melo, you got to be cut from a different cloth to deal with this day and night, all day long, every day, take the good with the bad,” Anthony said. “I don’t know how I do it. But I do it.”
Rivers confirmed the Clippers were approached by the Knicks, not vice-versa.
“Listen we love our team, we believe we are good enough right now,’’ Rivers told ESPN’s Rachel Nichols on Friday. “Having said that, my job is to look at this team and see if we can get better and If we can, we’ll do it.
Asked about trading Austin, who re-signed for 3 years and $35 million, Rivers said: “We’re going to do whatever it takes. Listen, I would trade Austin. You have to be willing to do that. And he would be one of them. And any of them would be one. But I don’t want to trade any of our guys. I like our team. Having said that, if you think you can make your team better you make your team better. That’s my job.’’
Rivers said talks haven’t died.
“We’re not talking to anyone, people are talking to us — I guess I can say that,’’ Rivers said.
Meanwhile, ESPN reported the Celtics already have informed the Knicks they aren’t interested in Anthony.
The Knicks aren’t permitted to deal for Blake Griffin. He and Derrick Rose can’t be on the same roster because of an obscure rule in the CBA, which states two players who have their particular rookie-extension contract structure — as Griffin and Rose do — can’t be on the same roster if both have been acquired through trades. Griffin would have been off limits anyhow.
Hence, Rivers and Crawford are two guys who would have to be involved to meet salary requirements as Anthony, with a trade kicker, would count as $28 million headed to the Clippers.
One source said Clippers assistant coach Mike Woodson would be delighted if Anthony comes to his team. Woodson, as Knicks head coach, guided Anthony to arguably his best season in 2012-13.
Having Woodson on the staff and a close friend in Chris Paul could well lead Anthony to waiving his no-trade clause, especially since he has a second home in Los Angeles.
According to sources, Jackson has had his fill of the Carmelo Era, but Anthony was not willing to delve into playing alongside Paul.
He said the games now are his respite.
“Going out there and play basketball, that’s the fun thing,’’ Anthony said. “I don’t have to worry about any of the stuff. It’s difficult not to think about it. But 50 minutes before a game, talking about that — no.’’
Anthony, however, weighed in on not being an All-Star for the first time since 2009, with Kevin Love, Paul Millsap and Paul George named the Eastern Conference frontcourt reserves.
“It’s little disappointing, but at this point I have bigger things to worry about,’’ Anthony said. “As a competitor, you want to participate in this, knowing how much fun it is, being out there and enjoying that break. That’s something I’ll miss also.’’
Anthony wasn’t sure if it was the Knicks’ losing record.
“I don’t want to get into what happened. I don’t know,’’ he said.
Heading to a warm island is on the agenda. “I’m going to enjoy the seven-day break,’’ Anthony said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do yet, but I’m going to do it.’’
Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said he texted Anthony on Thursday night to tell him he thought he “think he probably deserved being on an All-Star Team. He understands it, it affects him, but I expect him to come out and play well tonight.’’
Hornacek claimed it was business-as-usual regarding the trade reports surrounding Anthony so he found no reason to talk to him.
“He’s been around this a long time and dealt with this before,’’ Hornacek said. “We’re assuming everyone’s here until something like that happens. That’s life during trade time.’’