Carmelo Anthony's wife recently said that her husband will stay with the New York Knicks but nothing is final until the All-Star forward inks a new deal with his current team.
Anthony will be an unrestricted free agent after the season and previous rumors indicated that the 29-year-old superstar will strongly consider leaving the Knicks due to their struggles this season.
SEE: Carmelo Anthony Will Leave New York, Says NBA Players And Coaches
Sources said that Anthony views the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers as his most likely landing spots - two big-market teams that could give his financial demands, while also having a legit NBA title shot.
The Bulls are expected to make a strong push for Anthony this summer when he hits the free agency market, and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley believes that Melo could be a Bull next season.
Barkley added that acquiring Anthony via free agency next summer will make the Bulls relevant again after being on the limelight the past two seasons due to their injury-riddle roster.
When asked how a heavy scorer like Anthony will fit into a defensive-minded team, Barkley confidently said that signing with the Bulls and playing under coach Tom Thibodeau will work wonders for the former Syracuse standout.
"I think Coach Thibs would be great for Carmelo," Barkley said via ESPN. "I think he would make Carmelo a better player, more than one-dimensional because I think the Bulls play as hard as any team in the NBA. Thibs is great defensively. I think Thibs would do wonders for Carmelo."
But while the Bulls will become a strong contender if they will successfully acquire the reigning scoring champion, Barkley said that their title chances would still depend on how Derrick Rose will respond from the latest setback he had this season.
"They were a legit contender before Derrick Rose started getting hurt. They were in the Eastern Conference finals a couple of years ago. They were right there," said Barkley. "The whole thing now is Derrick Rose's knees. I'm not sure what's going to happen with that situation. It's going to be wait and see the next couple of years."
Anthony is expected to talk to several teams in the offseason, but the Knicks, Bulls, and Lakers appear to be the likely landing spots. The Knicks have the upper hand when it comes to financial terms since they can offer around $129 million for five years, while the Lakers and the Bulls can only put a maximum of $96 million over four years.
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