Bewerbung » mostly highly anticipated in a decade, Wiggins has lo

NEW ORLEANS -- Carmelo Anthony said Friday he knows "for a fact" the Knicks wont trade him, and said he would be open to staying in New York for less than a maximum contract. Anthony has said he plans to become a free agent this summer. The NBAs trade deadline is Thursday, but Anthony ruled out any chance the Knicks would move him to avoid the possibility they could lose him for nothing in July. "I know for a fact Im not being traded," Anthony said at the NBAs All-Star weekend. "Theres two things: I know for a fact Im not being traded and Im not going in there and saying I want to be traded." New York can pay him around $30 million more than any team, but Anthony said he wouldnt insist on making the Knicks do it. "As far as the money, it dont really matter to me. If I go somewhere else I get paid, if I stay in New York I get paid," Anthony said. "So as far as the money goes, thats not my concern. My concern is being able to compete on a high level, at a championship level coming at this last stretch of my career." The Knicks arent doing it now. They are 20-32, one of the leagues biggest disappointments after winning the Atlantic Division last season, and are wasting a strong season by Anthony that has him ranked second in the league with 27.3 points per game while also averaging 8.6 rebounds. The Knicks need plenty more, and it will be tough to get because they are already so far over the salary cap. Not having to pay Anthony all of the more than $120 million he would be eligible for could help. "I talk to people all the time. I always say if it takes me taking a pay cut, Ill be the first one on Mr. Dolans step saying, Take my money, lets build something stronger," Anthony said, referring to Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan. Anthony was traded to New York just after the All-Star game three years ago and has reached the playoffs in each season. But they are currently out of the playoff picture even in the weak Eastern Conference, and Anthony will have to decide if he feels they can put a championship team around him as he approaches his 30th birthday. "He makes really good decisions and I feel this decision for him will be no different," said the Clippers Chris Paul, one of Anthonys closest friends in the league. "I know he loves it there. His family loves it there. Most of all, he loves to play basketball there. I dont know what his decision will be, but whatever he does, Ill support him 110 per cent." NEW YORK -- Andrew Wiggins walked proudly across the stage to take his spot as the NBAs No. 1 overall draft pick, the culmination of a path hes been pointed down for years. The Cleveland Cavaliers selected the 19-year-old sensation from Vaughan, Ont., making Wiggins the second consecutive Canadian theyve taken with the top pick. The Cavs selected Anthony Bennett -- Wiggins longtime teammate growing up -- in the No. 1 spot last year. Wiggins said the ripple effect in Canada will be "huge," and hes proud of that fact. "It opens doors for all the youth in Canada, it gives them hope," Wiggins said. "Coming up when I was in Canada, I wasnt ranked, I wasnt known. I didnt really have any offers or anything like that. I just kept my head straight, kept working on my game, and look where I am today. "I just think it gives everyone in Canada hope that they can do the same thing and accomplish whatever I do. Because its possible if they work hard." Wiggins was the star on an historic night for Canadian basketball. Nik Stauskas of Mississauga, Ont., went eighth to the Sacramento Kings, and Tyler Ennis of Brampton, Ont., was selected 18th by the Phoenix Suns. Dwight Powell of Toronto was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets 45th overall, but was reportedly traded, along with veteran centre Brendan Haywood, to the Cavaliers for swingman Alonzo Gee. No more than three Canadians had ever been drafted in the same year. No country other than the U.S. had ever had back-to-back No. 1 picks. Wiggins had been intensely focused on the top spot, chalking it up to his competitive nature. So confident was he on Thursday night at Barclays Center, he chose a killer suit jacket that screamed No. 1 -- a black Waraire Boswell jacket with a white floral print. He finished it off with a black bow tie and oversized black glasses. "We just wanted to do something different, really stand out, try to win it on both ends, the stylish points and to come No. 1," Wiggins said of the suit that was specially designed for him. In a draft that has been maybe the mostly highly anticipated in a decade, Wiggins has long been touted as the top pick. The six-foot-eight guard has been called possibly the biggest star since LeBron James. Hes been in the spotlight for years -- a YouTube video of him dunking with ease as a 13-year-old has almost five million views. "A thousand thoughts are going through my head right now," Wiggins said. "Its a dream come true. ... "Going to high school and college, the opportunity and possibility of going No. 1 came into talk. And now I accomplished that, so its just a crazy feeling right now. I dont even know how I feel. It doesnt even feel real right now." When his name was called, Wiggins slipped on a maroon Cleveland hat, hugged his dad Mitchell and mom Marita, and then strode on stage to shake hands with commissioner Adam Silver, who was calling the first round for the first time since replacing David Stern. Wiggins makes it three Canadians playing in Cleveland -- the Cavs took forward Tristan Thompson of Brampton, Ont., fourth overall in the 2011. "I played with Tristan for a summer of AAU, and I played with Anthony for a while on the AAU circuit aand on the national level too, so Im just excited," Wiggins said.dddddddddddd "The chemistry is already there with those guys because I played with them already. I think big things are to come." The six-foot-eight guard is genetically-gifted -- hes the son of an NBA player and Olympic sprinter. He called Thursday night a "huge moment" for his family, including his brothers Nick, who played college basketball at Wichita State, and Mitchell Jr., who plays at Southeastern University. "Especially because my parents were pro athletes before, now they can kind of live the dream again through me, and just watch their youngest son do something special with his life, and play at the highest level of basketball," Wiggins said. "We cherish moments like this. Its great, great for us." The Cavaliers are hoping to bring James back to Cleveland, and if that happened, a new teammate would be glad to welcome him. "I want to win," Wiggins said. "If he wants to win, wed be good together." Milwaukee selected Duke forward Jabari Parker with the No. 2 pick, while Wiggins Kansas teammate Joel Embiid -- a big question mark going into the draft after he underwent surgery for a stress fracture in his foot -- went third to Philadelphia. "He worked so hard," Wiggins said. "He didnt let nothing get to him. He always stayed motivated. So Im just proud. Its a proud moment for Kansas." Arizona forward Aaron Gordon went fourth to Orlando, followed by Australian guard Dante Exum to Utah. The Toronto Raptors selected Bruno Caboclo with their No. 20 pick. The Kings, meanwhile, looked to fill their shooting void by taking perhaps the best marksman available in the draft in Stauskas, a Michigan product whos a bit of a YouTube sensation himself -- his videos of throwing up three-pointers have hundreds of thousands of views. "This is a huge honour for me," Stauskas said. "This is something Ive been working towards since I was seven years old. The face that Im sitting here in front of all you guys now is just. . . I cant put this into words." The six-foot-six Stauskas celebrated with an orchestrated handshake with his dad Paul -- the two slapped hands and then threw u