Syracuse's Jim Boeheim says Carmelo Anthony should have signed with Bulls
Carmelo Anthony's college coach wasn't entirely happy with Anthony's decision to sign a five-year, $124-million deal with the New York Knicks this offseason.
Boeheim on Carmelo: "Just from a basketball point of view, it would have been better to go to Chicago because they've got better players."
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) August 18, 2014
It's hard to argue against Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim's comments, as the Chicago Bulls did appear to be the best landing spot for Anthony. The Bulls boast a fearsome defensive system with reigning Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah at the helm, but struggled to score points. The Bulls also feature former MVP Derrick Rose manning the point. The score-first, defense-second Anthony would seem to be a perfect fit.
In the end, though, it was likely the brighter lights and bigger paycheck that won Anthony's services. The Knicks' offer of $124 million easily trumped the maximum amount (roughly $90 million) that the Bulls could have offered.
As a tandem, Anthony and Boeheim won the NCAA championship for Syracuse in 2003.