Carmelo Anthony officially declared that he will opt out of the final year of his deal with the New York Knicks to become a free agent this summer.

Anthony, who averaged 27.4 points to go along with 8.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game last season, has been making headlines over the past several months with regards to his future in New York.

Leon Rose, Anthony's agent, said in an interview with ESPN New York that his client loves the City of New York, but he insisted that the All-Star forward will listen to offers from other teams.

"Carmelo loves being a Knick, he loves the city, and he loves the fans," Rose said. "At this stage of his career, he just wants to explore his options."

The Knicks have the best chance of signing Anthony if the 30-year-old forward considers money as his main factor when he makes his decision this offseason.

New York can sign Anthony to a maximum five-year deal worth around $129 million, while other teams can only dangle a four-year deal worth $96 million.

Other interested teams such as the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, and the Dallas Mavericks are still expected to make a strong push as they are holding into Anthony's willingness to take less money to play for a team with a good chance of winning an NBA title.

Anthony said in a statement that he will look at the "big picture" when he makes his free agency decision, saying that he would like to play for a team that will contend for a title not only for next season, but for the next six to eight years.

"The average person is looking at it as next year, like it's just one year. 'Next year you win the championship if you go here.' We're looking at the big picture here now," Anthony said. "You're looking at the next six to eight years of your career, of the end of your career at that. So do you want to spend that much time in that place?"