Carmelo Anthony to meet with Lakers, Knicks

Carmelo Anthony's whirlwind free agency tour was set to conclude on Thursday, with final meetings to be held by Anthony with the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks, according to ESPN.

The first meeting was scheduled to be with the Lakers, with the Knicks following later in the day. Both were to be held in Los Angeles.

ESPN reported that Lakers star Kobe Bryant was planning on flying back from a European vacation in order to be part of the talks with Anthony, but later Thursday Bryant's plan fell through due to the meeting time being moved up, according to Yahoo Sports.

Anthony's meeting with the Knicks will reportedly be the final one of his free agency process, which began on Tuesday with a visit to the Chicago Bulls. Wednesday saw a trip to Texas to meet with the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets.

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Though Anthony will be finished meeting with teams by Thursday evening, it's unclear when a final decision will be made. The New York Daily News reported the Knicks hope to receive a verbal commitment from Anthony after their meeting, but cited a source saying such a commitment is unlikely. Reports from both Yahoo Sports and the Wall Street Journal indicate Anthony will make a decision sometime over the weekend.

The 30-year-old Anthony is considered the most prized free agent on the market behind LeBron James. A seven-time All-Star, Anthony averaged 27.4 points per game with the Knicks last season and has averaged 25.3 points for his career.

—Ben Estes