Carmelo Anthony was clear about his intent to become a free agent before Phil Jackson or Derek Fisher joined the Knicks. After a Thursday meeting with Jackson and Fisher, Anthonys approach remains unchanged. Anthony will opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, according to the New York Daily News. Anthony has until June 23 to give the Knicks and an official decision on the matter, but he will not opt in to another season with the Knicks unless there is a drastic change of heart, according to the report. Jackson was straight forward with reporters when asked about Anthonys contract situation, revealing that he wanted Anthony to be unselfish and opt in to allow the Knicks more flexibility in the future. If things went according to Jacksons plan, Anthony would become a free agent on July 1, 2015. This decision to opt out is not an indication that Anthony will leave the Knicks, but there is no guarantee he will return. Jackson recently expressed concern about losing Anthony, stating that it only takes one team, the Daily News reports. Recent reports have pitted Anthony as a target of the Miami Heat, who are said to be discussing the possibility of a Big Four, according to an ESPN report. The report stated that there had been internal conversations about Anthony within the Heat organization. The team cannot talk to Anthony until free agency starts on July 1. Asked about the possibility of a Big Four, Heat center Chris Bosh called it very, very unlikely. All four players would need to take sizeable paycuts, and Miamis current Big Three is already playing at discounted rate. Bosh, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade must opt out of their contracts to make room for Anthony, but all four players would have to make about $15 million for it to work until the projected $63.2 million salary cap for the 2014-15 season. The Heat only have $2 million committed to next season, with guard Norris Cole as the only player solidly under contract. Every other Heat player will either be a free agent or have the opportunity to opt out to become a free agent. Even if Udonis Haslem considers a Big Four as conceivable, there is still the fact that Anthony wants to receive the Dwight Howard treatment as a free agent, a source told Sporting News. Anthony has never had a true free-agent experience. And while he has not addressed his impending free agency, Jackson has. “I told him it might be a good idea to hang in here and see what it’s like for a year, and go out the next year,” Jackson said. “But that’s his option, that’s what he’s earned, and that’s what’s part of his contractual agreement. He has the right to do that. But I just offered that as: ‘Look, this gives you an opportunity to see how this is going to change, see how we’re going to get going, your relationship to the team and the coach and the system or whatever.’ ”
Posted on: Sun, 15 Jun 2014 01:54:46 +0000
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