Carmelo Anthony on short-term deal: 'I never thought about it'
New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony said he never considered signing a short-term deal like LeBron James did to cash in on the rising salary cap, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports.
Anthony, 30, signed a five-year, $124 million contract with the Knicks during the offseason while James signed a two-year $42.1 million contract to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers. James will be a free agent in 2016 when the NBA salary cap is expected to rise significantly following yesterday's announcement of a nine-year, $24 billion television contract. Depending on how the salary cap increases, James' maximum contract could be worth as much as $185 million, according to SI.com's Ben Golliver.
Anthony, who signed for less than the $129 million maximum, said he didn't want to enter free agency again.
“I never thought about it,” Anthony said after practice on Monday. “I didn’t want to go back and do what I did this summer [as a free agent]. There was stuff on the table [but there] wasn’t a two-year deal discussed.
“I’m good, man,’’ Anthony said. “Five years. I’m good. I don’t want to speak on a two-year deal right now. I don’t even know why I’m sitting here talking about a two-year deal. I’m good. The organization is good. Everybody is in a good place.”
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Anthony's decision to sign for less during the offseason will give the Knicks more salary cap room in future offseasons, which will be amplified by an increasing salary cap. The Knicks will have significant cap space next summer after the contract of Amar'e Stoudemire ($23 million) and Andrea Bargnani ($12 million) expire.
The Knicks open preseason play Wednesday against the Boston Celtics. They start the regular season on Oct. 29 with a back-to-back set against the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers.
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- Paul Palladino
