As LeBron James' announcement that he'd return to the Cleveland Cavaliers went public, New York Knicks free agent Carmelo Anthony continued to wrestle with his own big decision. Yahoo! Sports' Marc J. Spears reports that Anthony won't decide by the end of Friday whether to return to New York or join the Chicago Bulls.
On Thursday night, it became clear that Anthony was having second thoughts. He seemed ready to return to New York, putting all his trust in newly-hired president Phil Jackson.
Now the Eastern Conference looks like a wide open race with the Big Three of Miami dispersing, and it's possible the draw for Anthony to join the Bulls is even stronger.
No to the Lakers
Anthony joining a Bulls team with a healthy Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah would certainly put them atop the conference with perhaps only the Indiana Pacers to challenge them. Indeed, James heading home makes the Cavs a threat, but with a new general manager and coach, plus a roster of untested youngsters, it remains to be seen if they're ready to chase down the battle-tested Pacers -- or even a healthy Bulls team without Anthony.