The rumors have started to run rampant about the immediate future of Carmelo Anthony. The superstar forward will opt out of his deal with the New York Knicks next month and intends to explore his options in free agency.
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With the recent rumor circulating that the Miami Heat might pursue Anthony, the pressure is on for Phil Jackson and company to keep the perennial All-Star in New York. Miami isn’t the only team that will be gunning for Anthony as the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls will also make an attempt to sign the superstar.
Jackson and owner James Dolan will try and sell on Anthony on the prospect of staying in New York during a visit with the face of the franchise this weekend in Los Angeles, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:
The New York Knicks are sending a high-level delegation – including president Phil Jackson and owner James Dolan – to Los Angeles this weekend to sell All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony on a future with the franchise, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
At this point in time, there’s been no indication which way Anthony may be leaning with only a few weeks left until the start of NBA free agency on July 1. The Heat entering the race for Anthony’s services definitely makes things interesting and might draw out the process longer than expected, but New York may still be where he ends up signing when it is all said and done.
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As for the Lakers, there’s been mixed signals coming from the organization about their stance on pursuing Anthony. Over the past few months, rumors have surfaced about the team going after Anthony once he becomes a free agent and others saying the complete opposite.
With that being said, it remains unclear if the Lakers will show interest in the star forward, but it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see Mitch Kupchak and company throw their hat in the ring.
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