New York Knicks Roster & News: Carmelo Anthony Admits to Almost Signing With the Chicago Bulls
Carmelo Anthony revealed in a recent documentary that he almost decided to leave the New York Knicks in the offseason as he strongly considered signing with the Chicago Bulls.
Anthony, who was one of the most coveted free agents last summer, said in a documentary titled "Carmelo: Made in New York" that the Bulls made a strong pitch to acquire him. He felt that Chicago was a "perfect fit" for him because the team needs a big-time scorer who can push them over the hump and possibly win an NBA title this season.
"Chicago was the one that, from day one, was something that I was very impressed with," Anthony said via ESPN. "They were looking for a person like me to come in and just take them to the next level. So it was perfect. It was a perfect setup, perfect fit for me in Chicago."
The 30-year-old superstar added that the Bulls made a strong presentation, including recruiting pitches from stars Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, who both talked about the possibility of winning titles in the next several years.
However, Anthony said that it came down to asking himself if he was ready to move his family and start a new life in Chicago -- a factor that eventually convinced him to accept a five-year, $124 million deal with the Knicks.
"I had to think about just living in Chicago," Anthony added. "Do I want to live in Chicago? Do I want to take everything that I created in New York and move all of that? It came down to that."
Anthony was also impressed by the Los Angeles Lakers' recruiting pitch last summer. The Lakers were also ready to offer a maximum deal to Anthony, but the former Syracuse standout said that he saw no reason to move to Los Angeles because they are in a similar situation as the Knicks.
"It would have just been me and Kobe on that team, and then you would have had to throw in pieces in there until next year," Anthony said of the Lakers. "So I figured why pick up and leave when New York is in the same situation? I'd have to really want to get out of New York and come to almost the same situation."
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