NBA Rumors: Carmelo Anthony will visit Houston, Dallas and Chicago

Well, it doesn’t sound like Carmelo Anthony will be wasting any time.

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The seven-time all-star will be meeting with the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and Chicago Bulls on July 1, the first day of the NBA’s free agency period, according to ESPN’s Chris Broussard.

This would certainly imply that these three teams are the favorites to land Anthony’s service. Chicago and Houston have always seemed like two of the most likely destinations, so their presence on this list is expected. However, it is a bit of a surprise to see the Mavericks in this group, considering it was Dirk Nowtizki himself that said Melo-to-Dallas was not “realistic.”

There is the absence of two teams in that list that are worth noting: the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat.

The Lakers have long been linked to Anthony, and it’s not exactly a secret that Mitch Kupchak and Co. are trying to pair the aging Kobe Bryant with a superstar.

"Though the Los Angeles Lakers are not on Anthony’s current list, Kobe Bryant plans to recruit him to the team. Bryant, who is close with Anthony, spoke to him by telephone when they were in separate parts of Europe earlier this week."

As for the Heat, Anthony does not seem to be considering creating a Big Four in South Beach at the moment.

"For all the talk about Anthony joining LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami next season, sources said there has been no talk about going to the Heat from Anthony."

Regardless, with the Rockets, Bulls and Mavericks all with the ability to offer Anthony a better opportunity to win than the New York Knicks can, it’s looking unlikely Melo is back in the Big Apple next season.