NBA Free Agents 2014: NY Knicks Could Be Only Team Willing to Offer Carmelo Anthony Max Contract

The New York Knicks are slowly losing their grip on Carmelo Anthony as their struggles continue, but reports indicated that they still are still the favorite to sign the superstar forward this summer.

Anthony, who will become an unrestricted free agent after the current season, is expected to receive lucrative offers from several teams, but sources said that the Knicks still have the upper hand.

The Knicks can offer Anthony a $30 million contract, more than what other teams can offer. But aside from that, Basketball Insiders added that the Knicks might turn out to be the only NBA team willing to offer a max contract to the All-Star forward.

"Sources close to the situation say that the Knicks are likely the only would-be suitor for Anthony willing to meet the full $22.45 million per year starting price on a new contract," Basketball Insiders reported.

The Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers are expected to negotiate with Anthony this summer, but league executives are convinced that both teams are unwilling to offer a max deal to the 11-year-veteran, who will turn 30 this summer.

The Bulls could have around $14 million in salary cap room if they decide to amnesty Carlos Boozer in the offseason. But in order to sign Anthony, the Bulls will have to give up another key player to make room for a max contract.

"To get in range of the full max-level offer the Knicks can put on the table, the Bulls would have to basically give away an additional player like Taj Gibson or Joakim Noah to create the room to sign Anthony to a deal in that price range," Basketball Insiders noted.

The Lakers, on the other hand, will have enough cap room to sign Anthony to a max contract.

However, sources added that the Lakers might be unwilling to use all their cap room for Anthony, with sources saying that they are also targeting cheaper free agents to build a title-contending team.

"The Lakers may have enough salary cap space to sign Anthony to a full MAX offer, but that would all but exhaust their salary cap space and the word is the Lakers have eyes on a few smaller and slightly cheaper free agents to surround guard Kobe Bryant," Basketball Insiders noted.

But despite their unwillingness to offer a max contract to Anthony, the Bulls and the Lakers are expected to be strongly considered by the former Syracuse standout should he decide to accept less money to have a better chance of winning his first NBA title.