Carmelo Anthony Says Knicks Had 'A Chance' to Sign Dwyane Wade

Just one day after speaking about his solitary recruitment of Kevin Durant during free agency, New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony told Frank Isola of the New York Daily News they had "a chance" to sign guard Dwyane Wade.

Instead, the veteran Wade left the Miami Heat, a team he spent 13 years with, and joined his hometown Chicago Bulls on a two-year, $47.5 million deal. While he officially signed with the team July 15, Wade alerted the Bulls on July 6 he would take up residence in the Windy City, per The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski.

According to Anthony, the Knicks were too late. "If it was two days earlier, we probably would have had D-Wade," he told Isola.

However, two days prior to Wade's decision, the Knicks agreed to terms with Brandon Jennings on a one-year, $5 million deal, as he joined new additions Derrick Rose and Courtney Lee in New York's backcourt.

Lee agreed to a four-year, $48 million deal July 2, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.com, while the Knicks acquired Rose from Chicago via trade. On top of that, they added Rose's former teammate, Joakim Noah, on a deal ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported to be worth $72 million over four years.

The money spent on Jennings, Lee and Noah in free agency is what took the Knicks out of the running for Wade. Per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Wade was looking for $20 million per year, but New York's acquisitions put the team over the league's $94.1 million salary cap, via Spotrac.

The friendship between Anthony and Wade has been well-documented, as they've spent time alongside LeBron James and Chris Paul during multiple offseasons:

Per Bleacher Report's Howard Beck, the four are neighbors in Los Angeles and appeared together onstage at the 2016 ESPY Awards to urge social change in America.

So while the Knicks look to turn their franchise around with a number of big-money signings to bolster the roster around Anthony, he'll have to settle with playing opposite his good friend for at least a couple more years in the Eastern Conference.