Documentary Reveals How Close Carmelo Anthony Was To Signing With Bulls
(CBS) A new documentary set to air Tuesday details just how close Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony was to signing with the Bulls last offseason, with the star saying, "There was one point in time I was like, 'Oh, I'm going,''' according to the New York Post.
"Carmelo Anthony: Made In NY'' will be aired Tuesday on the MSG Network, and it gives a behind-the-scenes look at Anthony's whirlwind free agency tour in July in which the Knicks, Bulls, Rockets, and Lakers and Mavericks showed serious interest in him. In the end, it was all about the Knicks and Bulls, and Anthony was close to choosing Chicago, the Post reported.
"It came down to Chicago and New York,'' Anthony said during the program, according to the Post. "Chicago was the one from Day 1 (and) was something I was very impressed with. They were looking for someone like me to come in and take them to the next level. So it was perfect.
"It was a perfect setup and perfect fit for me in Chicago. But also I had to think about just living in Chicago. Do I want to live in Chicago? Do I want to take everything I created in New York and move all of that? It came down to that. But there was one point in time I was like, 'Oh, I'm going.'''
Anthony also spoke to how Bulls stars Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah recruited him.
"D-Rose is tough," Anthony said, according to the Post. "He even hit me (up). I've been talking to him. Him and Noah. Noah's more outgoing. But I'm glad we did them first.''
Anthony and his camp would've demanded a sign-and-trade to the Bulls, if he indeed had chosen Chicago. Bay Frazier, Anthony's manager, said in the documentary that the Bulls could offer $74 million. Anthony eventually signed with the Knicks for five years and about $124 million, which was slightly less than a max deal.
"That's $74 million as opposed close to $129 million," Frazier said at one point in the documentary, referencing the max contract Anthony could've taken in New York. "That's a no-brainer.''
Buoyed by the return of Rose and using newfound depth with the money they didn't use on Anthony, the Bulls are currently 11-6 and lead the Central Division. The Knicks have struggled in a 4-14 start.
