The NY Knicks have Carmelo Anthony in their sights and with recent reports saying he is waiting on LeBron James to make a decision, the Knicks may look at a trade with Amar'e Stoudemire, Iman Shumpert or Andrea Bargnani to the Philadelphia 76ers to clear out cap space to sign Melo and possibly LeBron too.
Anthony is currently deciding on the Knicks, Chicago Bulls and LA Lakers and as this goes on, James is meeting with Pat Riley to discuss his future with the Miami Heat. According to ESPN.com, Anthony wants to see what happens with James before making a final decision, as he could base what happens on where James signs. The Knicks would love to get both, but that will be very difficult and now LeBron has the chance to start the dominoes this summer in free agency.
According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Sixers and Knicks may work out a deal to help give NY cap space, as the 76ers have tons of it and they could potentially take on the contract of Stoudemire if a player like Shumpert is in the deal. The Knicks may try and make some trades before that happens, as reports say the team could clear out enough cap space to offer James and Melo deals, but that would mean a very thin supporting cast.
The New York star is deciding between the Chicago Bulls, LA Lakers and the Big Apple as reports say he is waiting for LeBron James to make a decision and this could have far reaching implications around the league. Chris Bosh is waiting and also deciding what to do, as he has received a maz contract offer from the Houston Rockets. The Rockets were a team interested in Melo and James, but now it looks like both of those are off the table. If Bosh signs with the Rockets, the Heat could go after Melo and James and that could be one reason why Carmelo is waiting to see what happens.
The Knicks still feel they have the best shot to sign Anthony since they can give him a five year deal worth $129 million, but he may not be all about the money at this point in his career. The Lakers made a very good pitch to Anthony and that is why he is considering that deal and he also wants to see if the possibility of playing with James is still in the mix. The Cavaliers have made a strong push to sign James and they could convince him to come back home. The team moved Jarrett Jack and they also have Andrew Wiggins and max contract Kyrie Irving to help convince him.
The Lakers, Knicks and Miami Heat are in a holding pattern regarding these two players and all the teams have looked in on Pau Gasol as well. Gasol could be another key, as both James and Anthony have expressed interest in playing with him as well. The Knicks missed the playoffs last season, but they have already started to make moves and they traded Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton to help clear space and more could be coming with Stoudemire or Shumpert.
