Bulls Reportedly ‘More In Play’ For Carmelo Anthony Than Lakers

 

A source close to Carmelo Anthony told Yahoo that Anthony is considering leaving New York in free agency this summer, adding, “Chicago is much more in play for him than L.A.” Anthony has not publicly addressed his pending free agency, but this isn’t the first time he’s been linked to the Bulls and Lakers as possible destinations. Per Adrian Wojnarowski:

Only now, the gloom of the Knicks’ season – the uncertainty of the franchise’s future – left that man to believe it’s possible Anthony could leave New York in free agency.

“Chicago is much more in play for him than L.A.,” the source said.

The Bulls traded Luol Deng for draft picks and are leaning strongly toward using the amnesty provision on Carlos Boozer. They could create a maximum contract slot for Anthony, pairing him with Derrick Rose. For Anthony, it is leaving a cap-strapped team through 2015 for a Chicago proposition with significant risks of its own. No one can be sure of Rose’s return to his MVP greatness, but everyone can be sure of one thing: The franchise’s mandate isn’t winning championships, but sidestepping luxury and repeater taxes to turn the fattest possible profits for the owner.