Carmelo Anthony Reveals Sixers, Knicks Showed Interest Before Landing With Lakers

Future Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony thought he had a permanent home in Portland for the remainder of his NBA career. As the Trail Blazers brought the forward out of free agency in 2019-2020 after a disappointing short-lived stint in Houston the previous year, Anthony felt like he belonged on the Blazers.

But things didn't work out like that ahead of free agency this offseason. After wrapping up his second one-year deal in Portland, Anthony was a free agent once again. While a return to the Blazers was certainly an option in his eyes, the veteran forward also received interest from the New York Knicks and the Sixers.

In a sitdown with Yahoo Sports NBA insider Chris Haynes, Anthony discussed how his short-lived free agency period went this offseason. That's when he revealed a return to the Eastern Conference was a possibility this summer.

"I'm sure there was a lot of things that was happening over there [in Portland] that was just not clear," Anthony explained. "I made that almost like a home for me. Within two years, I felt like I was a part of that community. New York was always there -- coming back to New York was always a story. ... Philly, looking at Philly -- I didn't really get a chance to really converse with Philly, but there was interest there."

Ultimately, Anthony signed with the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason. His decision to join LeBron James and other notable veteran stars out West was far from shocking. As a 37-year-old who is hunting for his first NBA title, it was in Anthony's best interest to land on a contender that's got a good shot at winning the NBA Finals.

The Lakers, who just won the title two seasons ago, are expected to be back in the championship race once again this season. While the Sixers are considered a team to watch in the Eastern Conference as they are likely to earn a top seed in the playoffs, they have yet to prove they can make it out of the second round in this era.

Linking up with the Sixers would've been a solid move for Anthony, but joining the Lakers was probably his safest bet this offseason.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.