Carmelo Anthony denied that he blocked a potential blockbuster deal to the Boston Celtics last week, telling the Daily News that Knicks management never approached him about waiving his no-trade clause. "No," Anthony said late Wednesday in Indianapolis. "Heck no." The News reported two weeks ago that the Celtics, Cavs and Knicks had engaged in preliminary discussions about a deal. Those talks never progressed, however, because Anthony had made it clear he did not want to be dealt. On Wednesday, ESPN reported that the Celtics were dealing directly with the Knicks about a trade for Anthony that would have included a first round pick that originally belonged to the Brooklyn Nets. It is believed that an additional draft pick as well David Lee's expiring contract and another player would have been included in the deal. Coincidentally, Celtics GM Danny Ainge revealed last week that he was on the verge of making a big deal that ultimately fell through. The Celtics were in talks with several teams, including the Rockets, Cavs, Hawks, Clippers and Knicks. "We were very close," Ainge told Boston radio station 98.5 The Sports Hub. "I can't tell you the team or the name, but it was very close. It's something that we had been deliberating on for two days straight. The other team was doing that. And we were wrapping ourselves around a big package to do a deal. And at the very last minute, they just said they did not want to do it. They just backed out. It was a deal that was talked about, thought about, and that was probably the closest that we came." - See more at:http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/b...e=twitter.com&utm_campaign=NYDNSports Twitter
