The NBA's projected salary cap increase for next season reportedly gives the Houston Rockets and Chicago Bulls a better chance of signing New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony in free agency. Knicks president Phil Jackson, meanwhile, was reportedly unhappy with the Knicks' level of conditioning this season.
UPDATE: Jackson announced on Monday the termination of coach Mike Woodson, according to the team website.
The NBA told teams the salary cap for next season may increase by as much as $5 million, according to ESPN's Marc Stein, which would give teams more cap space to pursue Anthony in July. Although the Knicks are considered the favorite to re-sign Anthony in the summer, the increase improves the chances of Chicago and Houston luring Anthony away from the Big Apple.
Per Stein:
"...Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com that the Bulls -- even before these developments came to light Friday night via noted NBA salary-cap expert Larry Coon -- were already feeling increasingly optimistic behind the scenes about their chances of convincing Anthony to leave the Knicks in the wake of New York's failure to make the playoffs. ...
"It's believed that the Bulls would still have to shed some veteran salary in addition to releasing former All-Star forward Carlos Boozer via the amnesty clause this summer to be able to make a competitive offer that could persuade Anthony to leave the new Jackson-led Knicks and the Madison Square Garden stage he loves so dearly."
The salary cap increase, a 7.7 percent raise from this season's cap, also helps Houston. The Rockets believe they can create enough cap space to chase Anthony by trading center Omer Asik and guard Jeremy Lin, according to Stein.
New York, meanwhile, is already looking ahead and focusing on re-signing Anthony. The perennial All-Star missed the playoffs for the first time in his career. Jackson reportedly believes the players' poor conditioning may be partly to blame for their slow start and subpar season, according to ESPN's Ian Begley.
