NEW YORK, NY – Carmelo Anthony made his decision Sunday, one day earlier than the deadline.
The superstar small forward is walking away from the New York Knicks, at least for now. Carmelo Anthony will be testing the free agent waters this summer for the first time in his career after opting out of his contract on Sunday afternoon. Being the second best player on the market, if LeBron James opts out, or the best player, if James stays in South Beach, Anthony will have a lot of suitors calling his name this summer. But which team’s the best fit for Anthony? Here are the three best situations Melo can find himself in next season:
Miami Heat: Of the three locations, the Miami Heat are the most unlikely landing spot for the Syracuse legend. But isn’t it fun to dream? A lot would have to happen in order for the Heat to keep their Big Three together and then add Anthony. All four players would have to take a pay cut, which isn’t that far-fetched considering James, Dwayne Wade, and Anthony all have nice shoe deals, cellphone deals, or other various lucrative sponsors. Aside from the money factor, this wouldn’t allow the Heat to sign a nice free agent big-man to play center, which was a weakness this past season. Still, if the Heat were able to pull off this move, how could someone beat them? And if you’re thinking Carmelo can’t and never will win an NBA Championship, you’re kidding yourself. Melo won a National Championship at a Syracuse, which is a much taller task than winning an NBA Championship. If Carmelo Anthony wants to win an NBA championship, going to Miami at all costs would be the smartest choice he can make.
Houston Rockets: If Carmelo wants to form his own Big Three like LeBron did with Wade and Bosh, Houston would be the place go. Would Anthony fit in Houston? Eh, maybe not, but he’d bring some scoring potential to an already talented line-up. Dwight Howard’s not necessarily a guy who will steal shots from Anthony, but James Harden could. It was evident during his time in OKC, that Harden can’t fit with another scoring threat like Anthony, but maybe Harden’s learned since he left the Thunder. If the Rockets can bring Anthony to Houston without having to let go of too many pieces, they could be a real threat in the Western Conference next season.
New York Knicks: Then there’s the Knicks. One reason alone for Melo to stay in Manhattan, would be to play for Derek Fisher and Phil Jackson. Jackson didn’t take this job for publicity, he’s here to win. Wouldn’t Carmelo want to be there for that? Sure, the Knicks won’t be a huge threat this year, but the Eastern Conference is so weak already that they could make the playoffs and try and go on a run. Look at the Atlanta Hawks this past season. The Hawks were an eight seed that pushed the Indiana Pacers to brink in the opening round of the playoffs this spring. You know Jackson and Fisher will have this team ready for the 2015-2016 season and if I’m Carmelo Anthony, I want to be apart of it.
If you were Carmelo Anthony, which team would you go to this offseason?
