Carmelo Anthony has done what just about everyone expected him to: Opt out of the final year of his contract, making him a free agent. (He’ll inform the Knicks that he’s doing so on Monday, and officially become a free agent on July 1.) He can still re-sign with the Knicks, though the Bulls are very much interested, as are the Rockets. Where do you think Melo winds up?
Per ESPN:
Carmelo Anthony has informed the New York Knicks in writing that he will opt out of the final year of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent, according to multiple sources.
The Knicks recently expressed the hope that Anthony would not do this. Team president Phil Jackson said recently that he hoped Anthony would consider opting into the final year of his contract and testing free agency in the summer of 2015. Jackson has privately expressed that hope to Anthony several times since the end of the regular season.
The Chicago Bulls are one of several teams with whom Anthony would consider signing, according to sources.
According to league sources, Anthony has talked to at least one high-profile person who lives in Chicago about what it’s like to be famous in the Windy City.
The Bulls also have reportedly done their due diligence on Anthony in recent days. According to a report in the Chicago Sun-Times, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau has reached out to some of Anthony’s former coaches to inquire about the seven-time All-Star.
