New York Knicks president Phil Jackson wants Carmelo Anthony to remain under contract for next season, but the 30-year-old forward appears determined to test free agency this summer, ESPN reported Friday, citing a league source.
Anthony has until June 23 to make a decision, according to ESPN. Jackson and newly hired Knicks head coach Derek Fisher are expected to meet with Anthony in the coming days.
“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 at the end of last month, as reported by ESPN. “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, the system we impose.’ ”
The New York Daily News also reported Thursday that Anthony has his heart set on testing free agency, barring a “dramatic change of heart.”
There’s no telling where Anthony will land yet, but rumors of the Miami Heat looking to find ways to sign the All-Star have been floating around. Even if Chris Bosh doesn’t think such a thing is likely, there’s no counting out the Heat until Anthony signs.
