Carmelo Anthony is exploring the possibility of joining the Chicago Bulls as the deadline approaches for the New York Knicks star to opt out of his contract, league sources told ESPN.com on Sunday.
According to the report, Anthony has spoken with a high-profile person living in Chicago about what the city is like. The Bulls have inquired about Anthony as well, as head coach Tom Thibodeau has reportedly contacted some of Anthony’s past coaches to speak with them about the 12-year veteran, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
“I even told Tom that there may be days that he will want to blow his own head off when it comes to Melo’s defense, but he keeps saying he knows he can make it work,” one of former the coaches said. “It’s not that Carmelo can’t play defense, it’s just how often. And he knows every trick in the book on getting around that.”
The New York Daily News reported Saturday that Bulls center Joakim Noah has called Anthony numerous times, though the 2013 NBA scoring champion has yet to answer.
Past reports have linked Anthony to the Bulls and the Houston Rockets, claiming that the forward is waiting for both teams to clear cap space in order to offer him a contract.
Anthony has to inform the Knicks by Monday if he intends to opt out of the final year of his deal and test free agency. The 30-year-old has indicated that he will opt out and test the open mark.
Regardless of all the speculation surrounding Anthony and the Bulls, it is clear that there is a mutual interest between the two parties at this point in time.
