Where will Carmelo Anthony land this offseason?

Every NBA offseason it seems that at least one star player changes teams and the 2014 offseason shouldn’t be any different. While not technically being free agents, many people expect Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James to opt out of their current deals and perusing other options. Like a lot of people, I expect LeBron to stay with the Miami Heat regardless whether or not they three-peat as champions. Carmelo on the other hand may have other ideas than to stay with the New York Knicks past this season.

After a 54-win season in 2013, many expected the Knicks to contend again in the Eastern Conference this year. Thus far, though, the Knicks have been one of the most disappointing teams in the League. As of Sunday, they have won six raight but despite the recent success still find themselves 3 1/2 games out of the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Carmelo has said that what has happened this season disgusts him and seems to be very disappointed. The latest news in the Knicks season is that they have signed the Zen Master himself, Phil Jackson, to a position with the team overseeing basketball operations. Some think this is a ploy by the Knicks in order to persuade Carmelo to stay in New York rather than leave. But, the question remains, what should Carmelo Anthony do this coming off-season, assuming he opts out of his contract?

Many teams have been linked to Carmelo but the two teams with the best chance of landing the star are probably the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, with the Bulls being the best option.

Chicago already has pieces on their team that could piece together to be a championship team and adding a scorer like Carmelo could enhance their offense. If — and it’s a BIG if — Derrick Rose could just stay healthy, he and Carmelo could become a dynamic duo in the NBA for years. Anthony would fit-in perfectly with the Bulls as their starting small forward, but in order to make that happen the Bulls would need to make some costly but necessary cuts. Also there is a question of whether Carmelo is ready to step into the house that Michael built and lead the Bulls back to glory? I’m not so sure that he is ready for that despite him being in the league for over ten years now.

Another team that Carmelo could land with is the Lakers, which would make the 2014 season hugely intriguing. The Lakers season has fallen so flat this season. Teaming Carmelo up with Kobe Bryant along with their supposed lottery pick for Bryant’s’ last run at a sixth title could be very successful. Kobe and Carmelo are friends with much respect for one another and that has proven to be successful in this league in places like Miami and Boston. While Kobe and Carmelo are not James and Wade, the duo could turn out to be a scary scoring duo for opposing teams.

Like most off-seasons, this one promises to be entertaining. Even with the addition of Phil Jackson, I believe that Carmelo Anthony is as good as gone from the Knicks. If I have to predict where he would land as of right now, I would say the Lakers. It makes sense for both the Lakers and Carmelo; plus it will give Kobe a successor to hand the team over to once he finally retires. While I’m not sure it would be the best thing for the team in the long-term, I expect to see Carmelo be the next star to don the famous purple and gold jersey come next season.