On the same day that the New York media was reporting that Carmelo Anthony will announce his decision return to the Big Apple to play for Phil Jackson and the Knicks on Thursday, his agent was spinning a different sort of web by saying no decision has been made yet.
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Anthony's agent Leon Rose told ESPN that the seven-time All-Star "hasn't made a decision yet" as of Wednesday afternoon. "No decision yet," another source told the affiliate. "Still up in air."
There has been a lot of speculation that Anthony could wait to see where LeBron James decides to sign before making his decision, and while some media outlets reported that Anthony has already decided to return to the orange and blue, new Knicks head coach Derek Fisher said he wasn't told anything regarding a final decision by Anthony.
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The Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls appeared to be prime landing spots for Anthony, but the Knicks can offer the longest deal and the most money. The Knicks offered Anthony a max-deal of $129 million over five years while the Lakers offered him the maximum they are able to with a four-year pact worth $96 million on the table.
The Bulls would reportedly need to pull off a sign-and-trade to land Anthony, but the Knicks would be unwilling to oblige and help Chicago steal their top star.
Anthony has said that winning means everything and it could even be more of a factor in his decision than making max money. The Lakers reportedly wowed Anthony and Kobe Bryant has been a huge part in trying to recruit him.
The Lakers tried to sell Anthony on the notion that once Bryant -- who has two years left on his contract -- retires, the franchise that is rich in history will be all his.
Anthony wants to win a ring, but the Knicks are coming off of a season where they went 37-45 and missed the postseason while the injury-riddled Lakers finished a franchise-worst 27-55, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2005.
Jackson has tried to sway Anthony into believing that the Knicks will be a contender with him as the centerpiece, and the New York Daily News even reported that friends close to Anthony were told he is going to stay in New York and that the announcement would be made on Thursday.
"He will have something for everybody on Thursday," a friend of Anthony's who was with the free agent All-Star on Wednesday told the paper. "He is really torn because this is the biggest decision of his career. But he wants to get it done in New York. He told me he believes in Phil."
While a decision could come at any minute, if Anthony's agent is to be believed the speculation and drawn out free agency of the All-Star may just continue.
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