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The next big shoe to drop is Carmelo Anthony and it sure sounds like he's deciding to stick with the Knicks and see if the Zen Master can work his magic in New York.
Just a matter of hours until Carmelo Anthony informs the Knicks of his return on a five-year deal, as @FisolaNYDN reported this week.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 12, 2014
Sources: Carmelo Anthony returning to Knicks - Yahoo Sports
Carmelo Anthony will sign a five-year, $120 million-plus contract to return to the New York Knicks, a league source told Yahoo Sports. Anthony considered the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets before deciding to re-sign. He notified the other teams on Saturday that he's returning to New York.
This has some implications to other teams. The Lakers had already moved on but the Bulls were still holding out hope that he would work out some kind of sign-and-trade. The Bulls are reportedly close to signing Pau Gasol, so it isn't an empty day for them.
It will still be very interesting to see what the Rockets do. They have until Sunday night to match Chandler Parsons' deal with the Mavs. They might sign Ariza or Deng as well (though both are looking at the post-LeBron Miami Heat also).
Also, now that Hayward's offer sheet was matched by the Jazz, it looks like the Hornets will have a lot of cash to throw around. Looks like they might be a finalist for Lance Stephenson.
Source: Stephenson showdown to include Hornets, Mavericks, Pacers - NBA - Sporting News
According to the source, the remaining serious suitors for Stephenson are expected to be Charlotte, Dallas — if and when the Rockets match the Mavs’ offer sheet for Chandler Parsons — and Indiana. Several teams mentioned in connection with Stephenson, including Boston, Chicago and the Lakers, have not been serious in their pursuit, the source said, while others could register late interest.
Does any of this impact the Celtics? I think it is possible that the Bulls get into the bidding for Kevin Love, but I'm not sure if they have what the Wolves want. If the Pacers lose out on Lance, will they look to shake things up even further?
Stay tuned.