Dirk Nowitzki: Mavericks would 'love' to have Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Anthony can count Dirk Nowitzki among his boosters for a move to Dallas. (Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
If Carmelo Anthony is considering Dallas as a possible free-agent destination, the Mavericks would "love" to have him.
That's according to the Mavericks' biggest star, Dirk Nowitzki, who made something of an unofficial pitch to Anthony on Sunday in a radio interview.
"If Carmelo would really love to come here, we'd love to have him," Nowitzki said in an interview on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, according to ESPN.com.
Anthony, the New York Knicks star, has long signaled his intention to become a free agent this offseason. Recently, he told new Knicks team president Phil Jackson he still intends to opt out of his contract and test the free-agent waters.
The Mavericks are one of three teams Anthony is considering, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, along with the Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets. Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reported Saturday that Anthony is "leaning toward" leaving the Knicks in favor of a situation with immediate championship possibilities. Wojnarowski reported the Bulls and Rockets as the two most likely destinations for Anthony.
Also last week, ESPN.com reported that the Miami Heat’s trio of top players is exploring ways to see if it can bring Anthony on board next season. But because of the complexity of such a set of moves, that option is viewed as a long shot.
The Mavericks would be the only one of the teams that would have sufficient cap room to add Anthony on a maximum contract. According to ESPN, Dallas is projected to have about $30 million in cap room this offseason.
The Knicks can still offer Anthony the most money and an extra year to stay in New York. If Anthony remains with the Knicks, he would be in position to sign a five-year contract worth as much as $129 million. With another team, the most he could sign for would be $95.8 million over four years.
Anthony averaged 27.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists this season. He was selected to his seventh All-Star Game but was not chosen for the All-NBA teams for the first time since 2011.
