Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony’s departure to the Knicks is “inevitable,” an NBA general manager told The Sporting News on Sunday.

According to the unnamed executive, the only question that remains is whether the Knicks will obtain Anthony via trade this season or sign him in free agency over the summer.

“Now it’s inevitable. I don’t know how many other teams are going to want to get involved in any negotiation for him, because who wants to go through what the Nets just went through? It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when,” the GM said.

The Nets negotiated on and off with Denver for more than several months, with multiple reports stating at various times a deal was imminent.

But the Nets never had a guarantee from Anthony that he would be willing to sign a long-term contract with the team, and last week billionaire Russian owner Mikhail Prokhorov ended the team’s pursuit of the three-time All-Star.

The Nuggets have until Feb. 24 to trade Anthony, who is believed to be determined to join the Knicks at some point.

He has not signed a three-year, $65 million contract extension the Nuggets have had on the table since June, and the team could lose him for nothing if he enters free agency, as the cavaliers did with star LeBron James.