Post by Admin on Jul 13, 2014 17:02:34 GMT -4
Carmelo Anthony ends negotiations with all other teams and will return to the Knicks.
An erratic start to Phil Jackson’s tenure as Knicks president received a major boost on Saturday when Carmelo Anthony informed the club that he is returning.
Anthony, according to a source, plans to announce his intentions Sunday — most likely via his Twitter account. The Daily News reported on Wednesday that Anthony was committed to re-signing with the Knicks, and in fact he told The News that he was ready to make an announcement on Thursday.
However, Anthony remained quiet for two days, but by Saturday, Anthony and his agent, Leon Rose, were informing the Bulls, Rockets, Mavericks and Lakers that he was in the final stages of contract negotiations with the Knicks. Anthony, 30, will likely sign a five-year contract worth approximately $120 million that will include an early termination clause.
Chicago emerged as the primary competition for the Knicks since the Bulls offered Anthony a chance to play for an immediate contender. The Bulls, who won 48 games last season, will be adding a healthy Derrick Rose to the lineup and are on the verge of adding Lakers free agent Pau Gasol.
“He was torn because the Bulls have a chance to dominate the East,” said a person close to Anthony. “But he really loves New York. It was hard for him to leave.”
Despite Jackson hinting for weeks that the Knicks might not offer Anthony a max contract — five years, $129 million — Jackson did just that by meeting with the seven-time All-Star 10 days ago in Los Angeles. The Knicks were fully expecting him to make a verbal commitment within 24 hours, but Anthony instead delayed his decision while Jackson revealed that the free agent forward was not returning his text messages.
Although Anthony was telling friends “I believe in Phil,” he dragged out his decision until Saturday. It has been suggested that Anthony delayed his announcement because he was upset that Jackson had publicly challenged him on the night of the NBA draft to stay “true to his word” and accept less money. Others, however, claim that Anthony was seriously considering a move to Chicago, even though the Bulls could offer only $75 million over four years.
That’s $50 million less than what Anthony can get from the Knicks. However, there is a strong possibility that Anthony will take less than the max, which would be a calculated image-building gesture as well as a face-saving moment for Jackson, who capitulated once it became clear that he might lose Anthony.
Jackson was playing a dangerous game, especially in light of the fact that his first choice as head coach, Steve Kerr, decided to take the same job with the Golden State Warriors. Jackson’s first player transaction, signing Lamar Odom, also backfired when the Knicks released the troubled veteran forward on Friday because he stopped showing up for workouts.
Jackson also took a wild stab at recruiting Gasol, who would have been taking a $15 million pay cut to join the Knicks. Instead, Gasol is headed to Chicago, and Anthony nearly joined him there. With Anthony returning and with Jackson acquiring point guard Jose Calderon last month, the Knicks have the pieces to reach the playoffs but are not regarded as a contending team. The Eastern Conference has changed dramatically with LeBron James returning to Cleveland. That leaves the Cavs, Pacers and Bulls as teams clearly ahead of the Knicks.
Toronto, which won the Atlantic Division last year, re-signed point guard Kyle Lowry, while Washington signed Marcin Gortat and on Saturday agreed to a deal with Paul Pierce. Even Miami is not ready to rebuild; Pat Riley re-signed Chris Bosh and is pursuing Luol Deng.
Jackson is in uncharted territory and not just because he’s a rookie executive with a rookie head coach in Derek Fisher. For the first time in 21 years, Jackson will begin an NBA season without having the league’s best player on his team. James is in Cleveland with a young supporting cast that will only get better. For the next five years, the challenge for the Knicks will be trying to defeat James and the Cavs.
The Knicks will have additional cap space next summer once the contracts of Amar’e Stoudemire and Andrea Bargnani expire. Jackson’s job is only starting. But it was made that much easier with Anthony deciding to return. It’s Jackson’s first major win with the Knicks.
Candy
