Free agent Carmelo Anthony reportedly wants to remain a New York Knick and play with fellow free agent Pau Gasol in the Big Apple. Gasol, meanwhile, has a number of teams - including the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat - vying to sign him.
Anthony, whom the Lakers purportedly offered to sign to a maximum contract, supposedly wants to remain in New York and wants Knicks president Phil Jackson to sign Gasol.
"A conversation that Carmelo Anthony had been pursuing in recent days, sources tell Yahoo: With Pau Gasol, about playing together (with) Knicks," Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports tweeted on Thursday.
New York purportedly is the frontrunner to re-sign Anthony, although the perennial All-Star spent the week hearing pitches from a number of teams, including the Dallas Mavericks, the Houston Rockets, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Gasol also isn't short of suitors. The veteran 7-footer, who has said money isn't a factor at this point in his career, is expected to receive offers from the San Antonio Spurs, the Oklahoma City Thunder, Knicks, Lakers, Bulls and Heat.
Oklahoma City, according to ESPN, emerged as the surprising frontrunner for Gasol, who spoke with the team and heard recruiting pitches from Thunder stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
Per ESPN's Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne:
"The Oklahoma City Thunder, with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook acting as lead recruiters, have unexpectedly emerged as a leading contender for the services of Los Angeles Lakers free-agent center Pau Gasol, according to sources close to the process.
"Sources told ESPN.com that Durant and Westbrook made a face-to-face pitch Wednesday to Gasol in Los Angeles to join them in Oklahoma City despite the financial limitations the Thunder would face in signing him."
One ESPN source Gasol is "opening up to the possibility" of playing in Oklahoma City.
Contracts cannot be completed until July 10.
