Carmelo Anthony has met with the Houston Rockets and Miami Heat in the past week. In advance of an inevitable parting, the Oklahoma City Thunder granted Anthony permission to meet with prospective teams.
Anthony and his representatives met with Rockets and Heat officials in Las Vegas during the NBA Summer League in recent days.
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Melo meets with the Houston Rockets and the Miami Heat. https://t.co/HaXYyy7vhe
According to ESPN, Thunder general manager Sam Presti and Anthony’s agent, Leon Rose of CAA Sports, have been working cooperatively to expedite a separation from the Thunder.
The Thunder are working on trade scenarios in which Anthony would be moved as an expiring contract and waived, becoming a free agent once his $27.9 million 2017-18 salary clears waivers. Oklahoma City needs Anthony to waive his no-trade clause, which he has done to facilitate his exit, league sources said.
The Rockets meeting reportedly included coach Mike D’Antoni. The two had a turbulent relationship when they were together with the New York Knicks. D’Antoni said Melo was the reason why he left the Knicks, before becoming Houston’s maestro of offensive magnificence.
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Apparently, DAntoni believes Melo can be a key piece in the Rockets championship puzzle. A common narrative among Melo supporters is that he was misused in OKC and can be a great asset to a squad.
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Carmelo Anthony is one of the best NBA players of all-time and a top five offensive force in the history of the game. He is still an elite player, it’s just about how he is utilized. He was completely out of rhythm in OKC. (FULL EPISODE): https://t.co/0wvdITMqj6 https://t.co/4mXWdjxNmy
If Melo is still seeking his first NBA Championship, then joining Houston is his best bet.
Paul Pierce: Carmelo Anthony would best fit with the Houston Rockets | The Jump | ESPN
Paul Pierce says Carmelo Anthony’s best fit is with the Houston Rockets. With Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute leaving, he has a chance to start alongside Chris Paul and James Harden. Pierce says that the Rockets give him a chance to win an NBA Championship, while going to the Miami Heat won’t likely bring that same opportunity.
Miami coach Erik Spoelstra has also been a strong advocate of signing Anthony, who could play a major role for the Heat at power forward.
Its obvious Melo hasnt accepted the fact that he would be playing a secondary role on any legitimate contender he joins. While the common belief is that his best years are behind him, the 10-time All-Star, who turned 34 in May, still believes hes an elite NBA player. That confusion will cause problems for Melo no matter where he signs.
“I think for me, my focus would be on kind of figuring out what I want out of the rest of my career, what I want in my future, what am I willing to accept, if I’m willing to accept that at all,” Anthony said in April. “I think everybody knows that I’ve sacrificed kind of damned near everything, family, moving here by myself, sacrificed my game for the sake of the team, and was willing to sacrifice anything and everything in order for this situation to work out.
“So, it’s something I really have to think about, if I really want to be this type of player, finish out my career as this type of player, knowing that I have so much left in the tank and I bring so much to the game of basketball.”
Melos quote back in April sounds like a man who is torn between trying to maintain All-Star status and sacrificing his game to win a championship, which makes him an imperfect fit for most teams.
Byron Scott: I can’t think of a team Carmelo Anthony would fit well on | The Jump | ESPN
Rachel Nichols, Byron Scott and Amin Elhassan discuss the future of Carmelo Anthony after the news of his impending departure from the Oklahoma City Thunder, with Elhassan floating the Miami Heat as an option, but Scott saying he can’t really think of a team Melo would fit well on.
Either way, Melo gets to go out on his terms. Just like his boy LeBron.
