Mavericks, Rockets and Lakers all linked with interest in Melo…
New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony is reportedly planning to meet with the Chicago Bulls on the opening day of free agency, according to ESPN sources.
It is understood that Anthony is in the process of arranging a trip to Chicago to meet with the Bulls on Tuesday, and then he will travel to Texas to speak to both the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
In addition, the 30-year-old is also expected to stop by Los Angeles to have a face-to-face meeting with the Lakers, with all the discussions aimed at convincing him that his future lies away from New York.
However, it is reported that the Knicks are confident that they will be able to re-sign Anthony after he has spoken to the interested parties, with team president Phil Jackson’s arrival in particular a turning point in his decision-making process.
No team can match the five-year deal worth $129m that the Knicks can offer Anthony, and with Jackson already starting the process of strengthening the roster by trading Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton to the Mavericks for Jose Calderon amongst others, it could be enough to show his star player that they moving in the right direction.
Nevertheless, Anthony is said to be intrigued by the prospect of playing alongside Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah in Chicago, although the Bulls point guard has insisted that he will not play a role in recruiting and believes that “if they want to come, they can come”, according to Yahoo! Sports.
Anthony is understood to be hesitant in uprooting his family after making New York his home for the last few years, but ultimately he has previously stated that he wants to be in a position to win a championship next season and it remains to be seen whether or not he believes the Knicks can help him achieve that target.
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