Report: Carmelo Anthony awaiting Bulls and Rockets to clear cap space to sign him

How does the idea of Carmelo Anthony alongside James Harden and Dwight Howard in Houston tickle you? What about Anthony with Derrick Rose and  Joakim Noah in Chi-Town?

Well, those ideas have caught the fancy of Anthony, according to a report from Yahoo Sports.

Anthony met with officials from the New York Knicks in Los Angeles on Friday night, but that meeting reportedly did little to convince him not to exercise his early-termination option on June 23, making him an unrestricted free agent. 

While Anthony could then re-sign with the Knicks, who can still offer him the most money, Anthony wants a chance to win immediately, something he doesn't seem confident can happen in Gotham.

From the report:

As re-signing with the Knicks continues to fade as his priority, Chicago and Houston have emerged as the clear frontrunners to acquire Anthony, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

...
Chicago and Houston front-office executives are working diligently on contingencies to clear the space to sign Anthony outright – or engage sign-and-trade scenarios with New York, sources said.

"His heart is in New York," one source familiar with Anthony's thinking told Yahoo Sports, "but he wants a chance to win now."

According to the report, Phil Jackson's public proclamations that Anthony should opt in or take a pay cut to help the Knicks be competitive have "turned off Anthony," and there is doubt in league circles as to whether Jackson even truly wants Anthony as a core piece if he comes on a maximum salary.

The hiring of Derek Fisher as head coach also failed to move the needle, as Anthony is reportedly more concerned with the Knicks' talent-short roster than an inexperienced coach.

How Chicago or Houston could make a run at Anthony is complicated, but certainly possible, especially if the Knicks are willing to play ball by engaging in a sign-and-trade and recouping assets for their departing star.

The Bulls would need to exercise the amnesty provision on Carlos Boozer, something that tight-stringed ownership has balked at in the past. They would also need to deal Taj Gibson - hardly an issue considering how valuable he is, and on a reasonable contract no less - and at least one more player, preferably Mike Dunleavy.

The Rockets, meanwhile, would have to find takers for Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin. While each is in the final year of their contract and don't have unreasonable cap hits, they're each due $15 million in real money, limiting the market for them. If the Rockets don't ask for anything but cap relief in return, however, one would think there would be eager takers.

From there, Anthony would have to determine which situation he liked better - an easier path to contention in the East but as part of a core that hinges on the health of Rose, or a tougher path in the West but with a more certain roster.

In any case, it seems as if Anthony isn't long for New York.