Mikhail Prokhorov is set to attend tonight’s “Evening of Russian Culture” at the Prudential Center — fingers crossed he brings along that dancing bear collective he joked about over the summer — and he’s also set to speak to reporters about the Carmelo Anthony situation beforehand. So perhaps we’ll have some new information by day’s end. In the meantime, what else is happening on the Carmelo Watch?
• Donnie Walsh is tired of answering questions about Anthony. Via the Post:
“I’m not saying anything about Denver,” Walsh said. “Nothing. Because it get misconstrued and rearranged.”
Walsh is trying to stay above the fray of the Anthony sweepstakes and was disturbed that his Monday remark that he “probably could obtain two first-round picks” got linked so heavily to Denver’s obsession with gaining multiple picks in a trade for Anthony.
Walsh was actually answering a question about Anthony Randolph, whose agent Bill Duffy has requested a trade. The Knicks are convinced they can get a first-rounder for Randolph from Minnesota.
Noted. And if Minnesota’s truly willing to give up a first-round pick for someone who long ago fell out of Mike D’Antoni’s rotation, here’s guessing it won’t be hard to convince Walsh to pull the trigger on the deal, even if Carmelo’s already been dealt elsewhere.
• Speaking of which, the Daily News reports that the Nuggets have okayed a meeting between the Nets and Anthony, one that, according to their sources, is supposed to happen while Prokhorov is in the States. The paper also floats this scenario: “There is growing speculation that even if the Nets can’t get Anthony to agree to a long-term commitment, Prokhorov will still agree to a trade, on a reduced scale, to at least get Anthony for part of the season in hopes that they can convince him to stay.” Just what we need: a chance to draw out the “Is Carmelo willing to sign an extension with the Nets?” speculation for another few months.