Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony returned to work — and immediately were asked about working together.
Paul, who can opt out of his contract to become a free agent next summer, cannot formally demand a trade and when he arrived at the Hornets’ practice facility Thursday, the first day team facilities were open to NBA players, he downplayed the talk surrounding his future.
“I don’t think about it, to tell you the truth,” Paul said in New Orleans. “I’m just ready to get out here and compete. This is what I do.”
Paul’s agent told the Hornets this week the all-star guard does not plan to sign a contract extension with the team and would like to be traded to the Knicks, according to Yahoo Sports.
Anthony, who was the first Knicks player to arrive at MSG Training Center, denied he is recruiting Paul, though the two spent much of the summer together.
“I’m not involved in that process. No way,” Anthony said. “That’s a subject, a topic, that I don’t want to touch. I don’t want to deal with that.”
League officials hope to open training camps Dec. 9, and that stayed on track Thursday when more than 300 players submitted signatures authorizing the re-formation of the players’ association. That paves the way for negotiations to continue on the remaining issues, and both sides hope the deal is ratified sometime next week.
Meanwhile, the big news remained the focus on the headliners of the 2012 free-agent class, which also includes Dwight Howard.
Denver Post wire services
