Boeheim: Bulls, not Knicks, better for Melo

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- If Carmelo Anthony had based his free-agency decision this summer purely on basketball, Jim Boeheim believes that he would have been better off in Chicago than New York.

"Just from a basketball point of view it would have been better to go to Chicago because they've got better players," Boeheim, who coached Anthony on Syracuse's national championship team in 2003, said on Monday. "But he wanted to be in New York and he wants to see if they can turn it around there. I think that's a great thing."

Anthony re-signed with the Knicks over the summer, inking a five-year, $124 million contract. The Bulls had enough cap space to offer Anthony a $74 million contract -- or more than $50 million less than the Knicks. The Bulls could have increased their offer to Anthony to a max contract of four years and $96 million by acquiring him via a sign and trade. But the Knicks never discussed a sign and trade with Chicago.

Boeheim's belief that the Bulls are currently a better team than the Knicks isn't unfounded. Chicago boasts a team featuring Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and the newly signed Pau Gasol.

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