Bulls waive Carmelo Anthony, pave way for free agency

Former New York Knick Carmelo Anthony acknowledges the crowd during the first half of the NBA basketball game between the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Three-time Olympic champion Carmelo Anthony was released Friday by the Chicago Bulls, setting the stage for him to become a free agent after leaving his fourth NBA club in seven months.

The 34-year-old former NBA All-Star forward is expected to clear waivers and gain a better sense of where he might play next after Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.

Anthony spent his first 14 seasons with Denver and New York before being traded to Oklahoma City ahead of the 2017-18 campaign. He was traded last July to Atlanta, which promptly bought out his contract.

Anthony then signed with Houston but played only 10 games for the Rockets before being benched until a trade to Chicago last week in a salary cap money-saving move.

Anthony boasts career averages of 24.0 points and 6.5 rebounds a game but has struggled to find a role on contending teams.

The Bulls also acquired French swingman Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and cash from Oklahoma City Thunder for a second-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Luwawu-Cabarrot has played in 142 regular-season games, 27 of them as a starter, with the Thunder and 76ers and has career averages of 5.5 points and 1.7 rebounds.