A source insists that it's just a matter of time before the Nuggets are forced to trade Carmelo Anthony to one of the two New York-area teams.

"It's the Knicks or Nets," the source said. "It's not a matter of if but when."

Whether the superstar forward would agree to a long-term contract extension with the Nets remains the biggest unknown variable of the Anthony saga.

Previous reports from CBS Sports and Yahoo! Sports have indicated that Anthony himself was not sold on playing for the Nets but that the player's agents -- Leon Rose and William Wesley -- were leaning on him to accept New Jersey.

Thursday's report in the New York Daily News claims that Anthony would in fact sign off on a deal sending him to the Nets.  From early on, a group of Nets' beat writers have maintained that Anthony is on board with a trade to New Jersey, or at least that the Nets are confident they can convince him to sign an extension if a trade can be finalized with Denver.

But on October 4, Anthony's own words on the subject seemed designed to give the opposite impression.

"I never said I want to play for the Nets," the Denver Post quoted Anthony saying, after stating that his top priority is to play on a winning team.

The New York Post reported Thursday that Spike Lee has been in regular contact with Anthony whose preferred choice remains the Knicks.

"Carmelo definitely, 100 percent wants to be a Knick," a source said.

Anthony seems to have been prompting the Knicks, through Lee, to complete a trade for him sooner rather than later.