The decision Carmelo Anthony was supposed to make by Monday never came. The only thing that may or may not have happened was Anthony playing a pickup game in Los Angeles with Kobe Bryant and Kevin Love on the UCLA campus.
That is great news for the Los Angeles Lakers, bad news for the New York Knicks and hopeful news for the Chicago Bulls.
The New York Daily News reported that Anthony appears to be torn between the Knicks and the Lakers - an ironic twist being that Knicks team president Phil Jackson is the fiancé of Lakers team president Jeanie Buss.
The Daily News added that two UCLA athletic department officials tweeted the three NBA stars working out and playing hoops on campus, but those tweets later were taken down and other reports surfaced that Love wasn't involved.
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Anthony was intrigued by a pitch made from Anschutz Entertainment Group about the possibilities for him in the Los Angeles market. The Lakers also presented a four-minute video of Anthony's life that was produced by Hollywood producer Joel Silver and narrated by actor Tobey Maguire - begging the question of famed Lakers supporter Jack Nicholson's whereabouts.
The move also could benefit Anthony's wife La La, who is a reality TV personality and a budding actress.
The Knicks can offer Anthony a five-year contract worth $129 million, where the Lakers can offer a four-year deal worth $96 million, but the Lakers still have Kobe and likely Pau Gasol from which to make the team return to contender status in 2014-15.
New York seemingly can't make any big moves until 2015-16.
The Chicago Sun-Times, meanwhile, reported that the Bulls also were encouraged by Anthony's silence Monday. They can offer Anthony a four-year, $75 million contract but also the best chance to contend for a title next season, assuming that point guard Derrick Rose has no more knees to blow out.
It was assumed before last weekend that Anthony would re-sign with the Knicks, allowing Jackson a starting point for 2015-16. But the fact that Anthony is working out and staying in LA this summer allows him to hear the buzz being created about becoming a Laker - to the point where the Knicks and New York no longer may have a voice.
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