NBA Rumors: Carmelo Anthony Narrows Decision Down To Three Teams

Carmelo Anthony is expected to decide where his NBA future lies early this week, and according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, that decision is down to three teams:

Carmelo is struggling with his decision. It appears to be down to Knicks, Lakers and, yes, the Bulls. http://t.co/VmDCC6PUkv

— Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) July 7, 2014

Anthony met with the Bulls, Rockets, Mavericks and Lakers last week, and the Lakers reportedly made the best impression. Here's what we know about how things stand:

- The Bulls were considered the front-runner before last week's meetings, and while they aren't out of the running, the Knicks and Lakers are believed to be slightly ahead.

- The Rockets and Mavericks are moving on to other free agency targets, with Houston making a major push for Chris Bosh. While this could always be a smokescreen, it indicates that they could consider themselves out of the picture for Melo.

- The Lakers left quite an impression during their meeting with Anthony - we know that LA has extremely ambitious plans for this free agency period, and our information indicates that they're selling him as the "future face of the franchise".

- The Knicks were considered to be completely out of the running two months ago, but two things changed - first, Phil Jackson convinced Anthony that the team is headed in the right direction (with help from Derek Fisher), and Anthony's wife La La became increasingly vocal about staying in town. With his wife and seven-year-old son happy in New York City, Anthony is reluctant to uproot them.

- With so many teams presenting a convincing argument, Anthony's decision could take longer to make than expected - teams think he'll make up his mind by Wednesday, but we wouldn't be at all surprised if things drag on.