Everyone's weighing in on the 2014 NBA Free Agency Rumors & Predictions. Carmelo Anthony is still a top name here until he decides. His college coach at Syracuse, Jim Boeheim, has been a mentor and often gives him fatherly advice. He has suggested for Melo to leave the Knicks before.

Carmelo Anthony spent only one season in college and he led the Syracuse Orange all the way to a National title. Boeheim, who is still the current coach, considers Melo as the best player he's coached. Now that his prized protégé has that chance to leave the Knicks as he suggested, he weighs in on the options:

On the Kobe-Melo pairing at LA, Boeheim told ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd "I think it would work,". "They are both great offensive players. I think obviously you can have two great offensive players on a team, whether it's [Dwyane] Wade and LeBron [James] or whether it's [Kevin] Durant or [Russell] Westbrook. I think those guys can play. They'll each get their opportunity. It's a 48 minute game, they'll each get their opportunity. I think it takes some of pressure off each guy. If Kobe is in good shape and healthy, he's going to get his 20-25 points,and I think Carmelo will as well."

He's correct. There has to be at least two dependable offensive options on a team. Even Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant at his peak were not able to carry their teams deep into the playoffs without a reliable second option.

"If they're playing together, it helps them make a good team. But do they have enough guys around them to win in the West? That would be awfully difficult in the emergence of Portland, the Clippers, Oklahoma City and the Spurs. That's a tough way to go in the playoffs."

That's why pairing Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant is just a first step. The Lakers hardly have a roster at this point. However, the advantage is that they can have a line-up (and even a coach) tailor made for them.

Is he the voice that will sway Melo: "I haven't talked to Carmelo about this, so I'm not involved. That's something he has to figure out, and he will. But on paper, if you knew Derrick Rose would be good and healthy, it would be hard to find a better fit than what Chicago looks like. I love the coach there. I love the way [Joakim] Noah plays and [Taj] Gibson and a healthy Rose. Obviously that looks like a great situation. But how it all works out and plays out is a tough call."

That's Melo's choice now. You know what to expect with the Bulls, but you have flexibility and more money from the Lakers (but there's a whole lot of 'ifs'). The Knicks are still there, with the best financial security package.