Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

Carmelo Anthony’s “ultimate dream” would be to play in New York, the Denver Nuggets forward said Friday in an interview with ESPN’s Colleen Dominguez.

Anthony and his wife, LaLa Vazquez, are from the area and have strong ties to Brooklyn.  “That’s like the ultimate dream at the end of the day,” Anthony said. “Who wouldn’t want to go back home to play?”

Anthony stopped short of saying he wanted to play for the New York Knicks or the New Jersey Nets, who will move into a new arena in Brooklyn in 2012.

“I don’t know, it’s tough for me to answer that question,” Anthony said when asked where he wants to play next year. “It’s tough for me to sit here and say, ‘Oh, I want to play in New York’ [or] ‘Oh, I want to play in New Jersey’ [or] ‘Oh, I want to say here [in Denver].’ ”

Anthony admitted he’s had a difficult time dealing with all of the trade rumors.

“It’s kind of hard for me to even watch sports right now,” Anthony said. “That’s all they’re talking about right now.”

He added, ” I haven’t had a good night’s sleep since Thanksgiving.”

Anthony said he was surprised when the Nets emerged as possible trade partners with the Nuggets.

“I [had] never really thought about the New Jersey Nets,” he said, before allowing that he has susbsequently considered the possibility.

“I see what the future holds, they’ll move into Brooklyn. … Me going back home to Brooklyn, opening that arena, I think about all that stuff.”

But Anthony also said, “I haven’t even thought about [signing an extention with the Nets].”

If the the Nets do trade for Anthony, they would likely want assurances he would sign the three-year, $65 million extension he left on the table with the Nuggets. If not, he would become a free agent after the season.

Anthony refused to say he would sign an extension with another team, saying “I have to weigh everything, all the options.”

As for speculation his preference is to play for the Knicks, Anthony said the assumption originated from last season when the Nuggets were playing at Madison Square Garden and he said: “Who wouldn’t love to play in one of the greatest arenas in the world?”

He also thinks the Knicks speculation was fueled in part by events at his wedding in New York this summer.

“It got out the next day that me and [New Orleans Hornets guard] Chris Paul were supposed to be in New York,” Anthony said of the infamous toast that Paul reportedly made, but Anthony downplayed it, saying it was all in jest.

“It was a lot of laughter, a lot of joking, no one took it serious.”

Anthony described himself as being in a “lose-lose situation.” He said no matter where he chooses to play, he’ll disappoint the fans of a team he doesn’t choose.

Anthony said while he’s been able to stay focused on basketball, he’s aware of the magnitude of the looming decision.

“Any decision I make is the biggest decision of my life,” Anthony said. “It’ll carry on and it’ll follow me for the rest of my life, too.”

“[This decision] will define my legacy.”

He did say he won’t emulate LeBron James’ process, in which the former Cleveland Cavaliers star announced on “The Decision” on ESPN he was taking his talents to South Beach to play for theMiami Heat.

“I will not do it that way,” Anthony said, before adding “as far as his decision, I support him, that’s one of my close friends.”

Anthony took exception to the idea he wanted out of Denver, disagreeing with that characterization. He says he holds Denver in high regard and cares about Nuggets fans.

“I was able to step right in and live up to the expectations,” Anthony said of joining the Nuggets as a rookie from Syracuse.

Denver won 17 games in 2002-03, but in 2003-04 Anthony led the Nuggets to the playoffs, and they’ve been in the postseason every season since.

Anthony thinks he’ll be traded before the deadline if he doesn’t sign the extension with the Nuggets.

Anthony said he is concerned about the expiring collective bargaining agreement and the effect it could have on his financial stability.

He said the new CBA is “the most important thing right now” as he weighs his future options. He would risk losing millions of dollars by entering free agency under a new agreement, which is likely to have a lower ceiling for player salaries.

Ultimately, Anthony said playing for a winner is more important than money.

“That gold ball is what everybody wants,” he said of the NBA Finals championship trophy.

-ESPN