Carmelo Reuters
Carmelo Anthony could elect to opt out of his contract with the Knicks this summer, the LA Clippers and Chicago Bulls sitting as two possible destinations. Reuters

Struggling to recapture the magic and consistency of the 2012-2013 season, the New York Knicks are lucky they’re still in the mix for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Through 30 games, the blue and orange are posting the second-worst record in the league at 9-21. With only the Milwaukee Bucks owning a worse mark (7-24), New York is in desperate need of consistency but fortunately for last season’s Atlantic Division champions, the team is only 3 ½ games behind the Boston Celtics for the eighth and final postseason spot in the current Eastern Conference standings.

Boston also leads the Atlantic Division and despite injury, poor play and the constant focus on the job status of head coach Mike Woodson, the Knicks remain in striking distance with more than half of the season remaining. Though the focus for New York should be on moving up the Eastern Conference standings, multiple reports are beginning to suggest that the team’s leading scorer and last season’s NBA scoring champion might be leaning toward a departure at the end of the season. Despite leading the Knicks to a 54-win campaign a year ago, a former teammate of Carmelo Anthony indicated recently that the former Syracuse University standout will leave the Knicks this summer.

“I think he’s leaving,” an unnamed former teammate of Anthony’s said recently to the New York Daily News. “I’ve played with Melo for a long time and he knows he can’t win here. At this stage, all he wants to do is win. That’s why he’ll leave.” If Anthony does elect to leave New York after just four seasons in the Big Apple, the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Clippers could become two of the top destinations for the six-time NBA All-Star.

Big cities in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles remain hot destinations for Carmelo Anthony since his brand stretches out away from the game of basketball, and a large city with a big spotlight would seem to suit the 29-year-old best.

The Los Angeles Lakers will also have significant cap space but because Anthony is a close friend of current LA Clippers point guard Chris Paul, the belief is that he would choose the Clips over Kobe Bryant’s Lakers, who are currently led by former Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni.

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