The Chicago Bulls are reportedly eying New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony as a free agency target this summer. In order to create salary cap space for Anthony, the Bulls are expected to use their amnesty clause on Carlos Boozer.
ESPN's Chris Broussard is the latest NBA insider to report Chicago's interest in signing Anthony this summer. To make room financially for Anthony, Chicago would likely use their one-time amnesty clause on Boozer, who's due $16.8 million next season.
"It's not unanimous, but most executives I spoke with think Chicago will go after Carmelo Anthony in free agency. Some are completely convinced of it," Broussard wrote on Thursday, via HoopsHype. "If the Bulls amnesty Carlos Boozer, they'll have the room to offer Melo the max."
Per NBA rules, Boozer would have to be amnestied between July 10 and July 16 to clear his salary from the books for next season.
Anthony announced in October he plans to opt out of the final year of his contract after the season. While most reports initially indicated Anthony would re-sign with New York, the Knicks' poor season has many speculating he will sign with another team to pursue a title.
Broussard's report corroborates an earlier report from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
"The losing, the decaying roster, has inspired 'Melo to consider closely the possibilities of free agency this summer," Wojnarowski wrote on Saturday. "Within the past several weeks, a longtime confidant of Carmelo Anthony confesses, something changed. Never did he believe there was a chance Anthony would leave the New York Knicks - never the Madison Square Garden stage, never the $129 million contract extension.
"Only now, the gloom of the Knicks' season - the uncertainty of the franchise's future - left that man to believe it's possible Anthony could leave New York in free agency.
"'Chicago is much more in play for him than L.A.,' the source said."
Wojnarowski added: "The Bulls traded Luol Deng for draft picks and are leaning strongly toward using the amnesty provision on Carlos Boozer. They could create a maximum contract slot for Anthony, pairing him with Derrick Rose."
Assuming Anthony does opt out, the perennial All-Star is eligible to sign with another team starting on July 10.
