The NBA reportedly informed teams that the salary cap will likely increase by $5 million next season, giving teams like the Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets a better chance of landing Carmelo Anthony this summer.
According to ESPN, the salary cap will likely be set at $63.2 million in 2014-15 season, while the luxury-tax threshold will increase from $71.7 million to $77 million next season.
The salary cap increase, which was reportedly brought by revenue growth, will give the Bulls and the Rockets more room to offer a lucrative deal to Anthony, who will become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.
The New York Knicks are still considered as the favorites to re-sign the All-Star forward especially after the team hired Phil Jackson as the team's new president in March.
The Knicks are also the only team that can offer a five-year deal worth around $130 million. Other teams can only put a four-year offer on the table, but ESPN noted that the Bulls are still confident about their chances of landing Anthony.
The 29-year-old forward recently said that he wants to stay with the Knicks, but pointed out that winning a title is still his top priority, saying that he cannot afford another losing season.
Sources indicated that the Bulls are convinced that Anthony will leave the Knicks after missing the playoffs for the first time in his 11-year career. The Bulls need to shed salary to make a maximum offer to Anthony, but the increase in the salary cap is expected to make things easier for the Bulls.
Aside from the Bulls, the Rockets are expected to make a strong push to sign Anthony, but the Rockets will have to find takers for both Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin this summer.
"Houston has quietly expressed confidence for months that it could make the moves necessary -- such as trading center Omer Asik and/or guard Jeremy Lin -- to thrust itself into the heart of the Anthony bidding depending on how the forthcoming playoffs play out," ESPN noted.
The Rockets are reportedly planning to convince Anthony to make a move to Houston not by offering a huge deal, but by using winning as their main selling point.
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