Fresh speculation emerged following New York Post report.
New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony could be set to test free agency this summer, but the question remains what options does he have if he decides to leave the Big Apple?
The general consensus at this stage is that he will decide to continue with the Knicks, and therefore place his trust in the management to build a team around him which is capable of winning a championship.
Anthony has received criticism in recent years despite being a consistent scorer, in that he isn’t capable of being the centrepiece of a team that has aspirations of going all the way.
Nevertheless, having settled in New York and established himself as a building block for the franchise, the possibility of him staying at the Garden next season is still very much real.
However, speculation over his future has re-surfaced this week following a report from New York Post reporter Marc Berman, who claims that three teams represent genuine options for Anthony away from the city that never sleeps.
“Anthony wants to play for a winner, but desperately wants to play in a big market because of his business ventures — his Jordan Brand sneaker line, his PowerCoco energy drink, his watch deal,” Berman noted.
“That is why New York, Los Angeles, where he has a home, and even Chicago are on his short list, according to a source. The source said the Clippers — with buddy Chris Paul — are more attractive than the Lakers, though the purple-and-gold have cap space and the Clips don’t.”
As Berman states, the Clippers are perhaps out of the running considering their cap space situation, although they could yet sacrifice depth in order to have a “Big Three” with Paul, Anthony and Blake Griffin.
Nevertheless, the Lakers appear to be the most realistic option although there are doubts over whether or not they have enough to entice Anthony as they will need to strengthen their roster and keep Kobe Bryant healthy to be considered genuine contenders.
As a result, the Bulls could emerge as an option the closer we get to the summer, with Luol Deng set to become a free agent while the franchise are expected to at least consider using the amnesty clause on Carlos Boozer.
That would in turn free up some room, and Anthony will undoubtedly add something that they have been missing for a year or two, scoring.
While coach Tom Thibodeau may not be entirely pleased with the move given his emphasis on defense, Anthony would add a new dynamic to their offensive unit and could work well in tandem with Derrick Rose.
Along with the continued emergence of Jimmy Butler, the solidity of Joakim Noah and the arrival of European talent Nikola Mirotic, could the Bulls be set on building an NBA championship calibre team by adding Anthony this summer?
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