The New York Knicks have place all their cards on the table for Carmelo Anthony. Phil Jackson has no more hands left. The team flew to Los Angeles to meet with the guard on Thursday after he spent more than two hours with the Los Angeles Lakers. Jackson is ready to make a move and he offered all that he could. Now, the team awaits a decision from their franchise star.
ESPN.com is reporting that the Knicks have offered Anthony a max contract. That deal is worth five years and $129 million. Any other team making a run at Anthony cannot offer him more than four years and $96 million. The Chicago Bulls have reportedly placed an offer four years and somewhere around $73 million. That is a big price difference Anthony will have to decide on.
The New York Post is reporting that a decision from the guard could come as early as the weekend. Anthony is ready to make a move and stick with it. Will it be money or championships? The issue with a signing a max deal with the Knicks is who the team can afford to place on the court alongside Anthony. They have traded Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton for Jose Calderon. That is an upgrade. However, they have barely any cash after that. There is the mid-level exception worth $3.3 million they could offer someone like Pau Gasol, but he made $19 million last season so good luck with that. They would likely be forced to try and trade someone like Amar'e Stoudemire or Iman Shumpert who are eating away at cap space.
The Los Angeles Lakers are putting on the hard sell for Anthony. They brought in friend Kobe Bryant for a sales pitch. The Post is reporting that movie producer Joel Silver presented a Matrix-style film honoring Anthony and discussed opportunities for he and his wife in Hollywood. However, the Lakers are in the same boat. With contracts to Bryant and Steve Nash sucking down cap space, what other players can they put on the court besides Anthony? LeBron James' manager has met with the Lakers, but a pay cut would have to be necessary.
Jackson remains confident that Anthony stays put. He believes this free agency run will end with a one-way ticket back to New York. However, what happens if he signs remains to be seen.