Will Carmelo Anthony re-sign with the New York Knicks for less money?
Sources close to the New York Post say the Knicks are confident that they will not only retain the services of their superstar but also convince him to take less money so that the team will have more cap space to pursue other free agents and bolster their line-up in the process.
According to the Post, Anthony could start with a maximum pay of $22.4 million in his first year then take a 7.5 percent pay cut the following year. This would reduce the Knicks payroll next summer giving them a better chance of attracting high-caliber free agents.
The Post also reported that a source close to the high-scoring forward was concerned about the team's ability to upgrade its roster this season. The source reiterated what Anthony has emphasized during the past season -- that he wants to play for a contender.
This is the reason Anthony is taking an active role in recruiting free agent Pau Gasol, albeit the Knicks have a paltry $3.3 million midlevel exception to spend on the two-time NBA champion center/power forward.
The Knicks are rumored to be asking Gasol to sign for just a year so that he can be a free agent in 2015, the same year his brother Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies will become a free agent.
Another reason Anthony could chose to stay in the Big Apple is family, according to the Post. Anthony's wife, La La Vasquez, a Brooklyn, N.Y., native, does not want to relocate. Anthony also is a native of Brooklyn.
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