MELO ON PHIL’S VISION: NO IDEA
CLEVELAND — Taking a pregame nap, Carmelo Anthony slept through Thursday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline, knowing he wasn’t going anywhere, but admitted he expected something else to happen.
With Knicks president Phil Jackson standing pat, Anthony candidly admitted he’s unsure of the team’s direction.
Following a dispiriting 119-104 loss to the Cavaliers, Anthony was asked by The Post if he understood Jackson’s vision.
“No, to be honest with you, no,’’ Anthony said. “I think they [were] planning on the trade deadline and they were trying to make moves. That was one plan. Now they got to get back to the drawing board for another plan for the future of the team.”
It sounded as if Anthony may have been debriefed about the potential Derrick Rose-for-Ricky Rubio swap with Minnesota that fell apart.
“Nobody likes to be in limbo,’’ Anthony said. “We all want to know what’s going on especially when it’s involving you. I think there’s other players who feel the same way. They want to be involved. Not involved but up to date.’’
Anthony admitted in the past couple of days he had been told he was safe and no deals had been brought to him. The Post reported in Monday’s editions the Knicks believed it was highly unlikely they would trade Anthony.
Even if a team such as the Clippers came up with a whopping offer at 2:59 p.m. Thursday, Anthony joked, he would have been fast asleep and unable to approve it.
“Yeah, I anticipated nothing was going to happen,’’ he said. “That there wasn’t anything worth looking at or exploring. I kind of knew the last couple of days. There was nothing worth bringing to the table.
“The trade deadline has come and gone and me talking about it has come and gone too. I will not be talking about trades anymore the rest of the season.”
But his strained relationship with Jackson remains an issue and it’s unclear whether this marriage will end in the summer. Jackson still may have some explaining to do regarding his endorsement of an anti-Melo column and one of his confidants writing Anthony has “outlived his usefulness in New York.’’
Anthony indicated it’s on Jackson to repair the wounds.
“We’re in the same workplace, I see him,’’ Anthony said. “We see each other. You want me to spend more time with him in the office? If there’s something to talk about, whether it’s about the team, organization, I’m there. I come to work every day. If there’s something to talk about we’ll talk about it.”
The Knicks also fielded offers for Courtney Lee, including one reportedly from the Clippers, who may have been willing to part with Austin Rivers. The Knicks had met with Rivers and Lee during free agency, and they believed they got their man.