Let the Carmelo Anthony sweepstakes begin.
The New York Knicks star has decided to opt out of the final year of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent, multiple sources told ESPN on Sunday.
Several reports indicating that Anthony wanted out of New York have surfaced recently, with the Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets emerging as the latest potential suitors for the 30-year-old’s services.
Anthony has one more year left on his contract, which is set to expire in the summer of 2015, and Knicks president Phil Jackson recently said that he hopes the star forward decides to stay in New York. That scenario no longer appears likely, as Anthony has until Monday to officially inform the team of his plans.
Anthony averaged a career-high 38.7 minutes per game this season and poured in 27.4 points per game, but the Knicks sputtered to a 37-45 record, finishing ninth in the NBA’s Eastern Conference and failing to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in four seasons.
Whether Anthony ends up joining the Rockets, going to Chicago or even teaming up with LeBron James on the Miami Heat, it appears that his three-season tenure with New York is officially over.
