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Anthony said the ongoing collective bargaining negotiations between the league and its players have created a sense of urgency for him. "I've been sitting in meetings with the owners and seeing what is their problem with everything," he said. "I've been in several of the meetings to know what the problem is and what's going on. It's going to take some time to get the owners and the players on the same page."

Is there going to be a lockout?

"Oh, without a doubt," he said. "Without a doubt."

So that's another reason to sign the extension now, I said.

"Exactly."

You could wait until the summer, I went on, but there is no telling which teams may have cap space or what the rules of the next CBA will allow you to do as a free agent.
"Everything you say right now, I lie on the table and try to break down every situation, every scenario," he said. "Everything you're saying, I've already [put] thought into it. You don't know what the future's going to bring. That's how I have to look at it, because I don't really know what's going to happen in the future."

Anthony is essentially trying to leverage his rights as a free agent months before he can opt out of his contract this summer. He is in this predicament because he chose in 2006 to sign a full five-year contract (with an opt-out for this summer), while LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh -- who all entered the NBA with Anthony in the 2003 draft -- negotiated shorter deals that enabled them to become free agents in 2010, the last summer of the current financial rules.

"I just wanted some security," Anthony said of his 2006 choice. "I felt like I was secure in my situation at the time. I had no worries, I was happy being here, happy being around the guys who were on the team, so I never really paid attention to the CBA coming up. I shouldn't say I wasn't paying attention, but I wasn't knowledgeable of what it can be."
While his desire to leave has put the Nuggets in the difficult position of breaking up a 23-17 playoff contender, it has also given them an opportunity to exchange Anthony for more assets than were received by the Cavaliers or Raptors, who last summer lost James and Bosh, respectively, while receiving little value in return. That's why Anthony has been able to tell reporters whether he was close to being traded -- because he has maintained a constructive relationship with Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri and president Josh Kroenke.

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Source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/ian_thomsen/01/18/carmelo/index.html

It's about that $$$ guys. We cannot count on him opting out this summer.

Anthony understands the risks of declining that extension with the Nuggets. "People just see the fact that I haven't signed that contract right now and [they think] I don't care about this city, I don't care about the team, I just want to leave, I just want to be selfish, it's about money," he said. "If it was just about money, I would have been signed for $65-mill. Who in their right mind would leave $65 million if it was about money?"

TMS wrote:

Anthony understands the risks of declining that extension with the Nuggets. "People just see the fact that I haven't signed that contract right now and [they think] I don't care about this city, I don't care about the team, I just want to leave, I just want to be selfish, it's about money," he said. "If it was just about money, I would have been signed for $65-mill. Who in their right mind would leave $65 million if it was about money?"

He can sign that 65 million dollar deal all the way up to June 30th 2011. Carmelo's actions speak louder than words. He could easily wait to summer if he was sure he'd opt out.

More likely Carmelo doesnt want to opt out of 18.5 million when he cant sign a new deal until a new CBA is in place.