Carmelo Anthony drops truth bomb on Knicks owner James Dolan's "bluff" that could have kept him in Denver

NBA legend Carmelo Anthony reflected on his 2011 blockbuster trade from the Denver Nuggets to the New York Knicks. According to the 10-time All-Star, Knicks owner James Dolan gave a false impression he had done extensive research after taking charge of the trade talks.

Drafted No. 3 by Denver in the 2003 NBA draft, Anthony spent his first seven and a half seasons with the franchise. However, after years of coming up short in the playoffs, he requested a trade in 2010. He was subsequently dealt to New York, one of his rumored preferred destinations, in a massive three-team deal ahead of the 2011 NBA trade deadline.

On Thursday's episode of "7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony," Anthony and ex-ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski recounted the Knicks and Nuggets' deliberations. The teams' front offices reportedly met in Los Angeles during the 2011 NBA All-Star Weekend, with Wojnarowski giving fans the inside scoop.

Wojnarowski laughingly recalled Dolan taking over the trade discussions and aggressively trying to get a deal done by including additional draft picks. He added that Anthony expressed concern about New York potentially giving up too much to acquire him.

The six-time All-NBA selectee comically chimed in, adding that while Dolan appeared prepared for the meeting, he pulled a fast one on Denver. Per Anthony, the longtime Knicks owner brought a folder of papers, but only one sheet contained information pertinent to the trade talks.

"Dolan came back with a purple envelope. There was one sheet in there that had numbers on it. It looked like some numbers that were just put together showing how we could really get this done. Basic spreadsheet. 101 spreadsheet," Anthony said (Timestamp: 1:13).

"Boom, take it out, give it to (then-Nuggets general manager) Masai (Ujiri) and those guys. Now, the rest of the folder is stacked with papers in there. It's nothing in there. There's nothing on those f**king papers. Blank papers."

Anthony later quipped that if Denver's front office called Dolan's bluff, it could have blown up the deal and changed the course of his career.

"If they would have called his bluff on that s**t right then, I'd have been in Denver forever," Anthony said. "If they would've called his f**king bluff, there wasn't nothing in those folders. ... And Dolan said, 'You've taken everything. That's all I have,' and pulled his hands out of his pockets. That was a sick moment, man."

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Carmelo Anthony says he did everything he could to convince James Dolan and Knicks not to overpay for him

While recollecting his 2011 trade to New York, Carmelo Anthony noted that he tried his best to prevent the Knicks from overpaying for his services.

"Listen, I held it down for the Knicks without even being with the Knicks," Anthony said. "'Dolan, no. Do not blow this team up for me. No.'"

Adrian Wojnarowski then humorously recalled Masai Ujiri demanding James Dolan include big man Timofey Mozgov in the deal.

"'No Mozgov, no deal,'" Wojnarowski said.

"That was the end-all, be-all," Anthony said.

Sure enough, Mozgov was added to what proved to be a 12-player trade. However, after surrendering considerable assets, New York never made it past the postseason's second round over six and a half seasons with Anthony.

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