Carmelo Anthony's decision to opt out the final year of his contract with the New York Knicks has, as many expected, opened the flood-gate for potential suitors all lining up to make their pitch and try and pry the seven time all-star away from the Knicks. And although Melo has yet to publicly announce the method by which he intends to entertain other teams in the coming 2014 NBA free agency, the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers are among the teams who are positioned to make a run on the Knicks star staring July 1, 12:01 a.m. ET, sources with inside knowledge of the situation reveal.
Among the possible candidates involved in the Melo sweepstakes, the Bulls are considered by many as the early favorite to take the swingman away from the Knicks, with sources revealing last Monday that the Bulls have been making consistent steps to acquire Melo for months now, going back as early as the January trade of Deng to Cleveland. Sources also revealed that all the moves the franchise made after the all-star break were in accordance with their plans to make a possible sing-and-trade deal with New York for Carmelo Anthony.
Multiple rumors, meanwhile, are pointing out that the Houston Rockets are not far behind in acquiring Anthony and have been exploring options to shed out the contracts of big man Omer Asik and point guard Jeremy Lin to clear enough cap room to make an attractive offer to the Knicks star. This would mean a possible Big Three with a formidable line-up of Howard, Harden, and Anthony that can possible shake the hierarchy of the Western Conference. The Rockets are also confident that they cannot only create financial flexibility but rival the Bull's sales pitch in this summer's free agency.
Anthony is perhaps the biggest name in the coming 2014 NBA free agency and its no surprise that numerous teams are exploring every possible angle that would help them land the all-star forward. While the Bulls and Rockets have risen as the front runners in acquiring Melo, we can never really tell where the Knicks star will go until he makes his decision official on July.
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