The NY Knicks are waiting on a decision from Carmelo Anthony regarding his future and the team also is looking at Pau Gasol as a free agent option and as this goes on, New York could look at trading Iman Shumpert and Amar'e Stoudemire to the Philadelphia 76ers as they try and generate more cap space to sign players.
The Knicks have long felt like they are the favorites to keep Melo, as they can offer him a five year deal with $129 million, which is $30 million more than everyone else can offer. According to ESPN.com, Anthony has not yet rejected any offers, meaning the Knicks, Chicago Bulls and LA Lakers are still in the mix to sign him. Reports have the Rockets out of the mix, while the Dallas Mavericks really never had a chance to sign Melo. Anthony is the top free agent target for the Knicks and they feel they can rebuild their team back with him as the centerpiece after missing the playoffs last season.
Phil Jackson already traded Tyson Chandler this offseason along with Raymond Felton and now reports say that he is looking for other moves. According to Pro Basketball Talk and ESPN.com, the Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers may work out a deal, as the Sixers have a ton of cap space and could be willing to take on Stoudemire and his massive $20 million-plus contract if they get something decent along with it. The report says that the team likely would want Iman Shumpert if that deal went down and a move like this would be an attempt to get Pau Gasol. Anthony and Gasol have expressed interest in playing with each other and that is one reason why the Knicks and Lakers are chasing him.
Stoudemire is making $23.4 million this year and while he was the reason Anthony eventually ended up in town, the contract is making it very hard for the Knicks to maneuver. Jackson already got someone to take on Felton and now he is hoping he can convince the Sixers to take on this money and he may have to give up Shump to do it.
Gasol has been deliberate and smart in his free agency and he is waiting for things to fall into place before signing. According to ESPN.com, the Lakers are the favorites to keep Gasol, as they have his Bird rights and that means he is easier to sign. The report adds that right now the Knicks can't even sign Gasol, as they are above the luxury tax and would need to make moves to get under, as they are not allowed to sign him in a sign-and-trade or with a mid-level exception.
The Knicks want to retain Melo, but he received a great pitch from the Lakers and also feels that Chicago is a good opportunity. The Bulls have Derrick Rose along with Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah and they feel adding him makes the team a championship contender right away. Anthony missed the playoffs for the first time in his career last year with the Knicks and now he has a major career decision to make, as he will be into his mid-30's once this one is over.