LeBron James isn’t the only NBA player returning home this weekend, as Carmelo Anthony will remain with the New York Knicks for five more seasons, a source told USA Today on Saturday night.
Anthony also considered the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks before deciding to sign a new contract with the Knicks.
Though the contract hasn’t been made official, ESPN cited a source in reporting the deal will be worth between $122 million and $129 million. The Knicks initially offered Anthony the maximum of $129 million, $30 million more than any other team could give.
Many believed Anthony would head to the Bulls, who could be on the verge of being championship-caliber. The Knicks failed to make the NBA playoffs last season, giving Anthony even more incentive to change teams. But new Knicks president Phil Jackson has preached to Anthony that the team would build around him to compete for a league title.
The Knicks recently strengthened their point guard position when they acquired Jose Calderon in a June 25 trade with the Dallas Mavericks. The Knicks don’t have much more room to sign free agents this year, but they will next offseason, ESPN reported.
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