Posted on Friday, July 4, 2014 8:11 amby Steve Popper The real Melo numbers As Carmelo Anthony makes his way around his summer recruiting tour the numbers that you hear are the $129 million max that the Knicks can offer, a figure dwarfing the total that any other team can offer. But it’s a bit disingenuous to offer up that number – comparing a five-year deal that a team can tender to it’s own free agents vs. the four-year, $95.9 million max contract that any other team can offer Anthony. If you compare the first four years to the package Anthony can get by finding a new home, it’s not just wins that add up. To catch up to the fifth year he would either have to re-sign at the end of this deal or opting out after three years and redoing the deal. For a look inside, these numbers compiled by SI.com show the approximate take home pay for Anthony through four years in various landing spots, accounting for the different tax rates (no state tax in Texas for example), and matches up max contracts, which these teams may either not want to pay or can’t clear enough space to handle. KNICKS – Removing the fifth year of $29.195,000 million reduces the take-home pay by $15,078,240 – leaving Anthony with: $51,649,244 BULLS – Clearing space is still the challenge, but a max deal, even at the lower increases leaves Anthony with: $53,940,612 ROCKETS – The magic of no state tax is a lure for athletes – and politicians. With that burden out of the mix it would leave Anthony with: $55,283,653 - See more at: http://blog.northjersey.com/knicks/336/the-real-carmelo-numbers/#sthash.FN8iMy8L.dpuf