The Denver Nuggets keep telling anyone who asks that they're keeping the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, likely to be Syracuse forward Carmelo Anthony.

"I'd be shocked" if the team traded the pick, Nuggets assistant general manager David Fredman told Denver newspapers last week. "It would have to take a trade that would knock our socks off."

But several factors suggest it might not take that much to talk Denver out of the pick for the right deal, and there's no one better than the Bulls to be able to make that deal. If we assume that Minnesota's Kevin Garnett is out of reach, this should be the team's top priority before the June 26 draft.

Although Anthony didn't make faces like Steve Francis did when Francis was drafted by Vancouver, Anthony made it clear he would prefer to be picked second by the Detroit Pistons because they are a winning team. But the Pistons seem intent on taking Darko Milicic, especially after Milicic, from Serbia-Montenegro, worked out for them and showed great coordination and athletic ability. And he measures 7 feet 1 inch and weighs 253 pounds, even though he's only 17.

So Anthony drops to third. What's the problem? Pick him and you've got a fine young talent. But Denver needs more than that.