Anthony, who has a Monday deadline to opt out of his $23.5 million for 2014-15, will become a free agent on July 1, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News first reported.
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Knicks president Phil Jackson and coach Derek Fisher had a meeting with Anthony about the matter, and he communicated that he is determined to experience free agency. Anthony wants the “Dwight Howard treatment,” a source told Sporting News’ Sean Deveney.
Anthony will have suitors all over the NBA, but the Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets appear to be frontrunners. Both teams can offer Anthony a four-deal worth $90 million.
New York can give Anthony the most lucrative offer, with the possibility of a five-year, $125 million deal. Committing to that money will mean Anthony must deal with a depleted Knicks roster until at least the summer of 2015, when they no longer have salary cap issues and big contracts of Andrea Bargnani, Tyson Chandler and Amare Stoudemire.
