Lakers, Carmelo Rumors Swirl After 5-7 Rockets Start

Getty Houston Rockets forward Carmelo Anthony and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James

Carmelo Anthony and the Houston Rockets are not on the same page, according to the New York Times’ Marc Stein. 

Per Stein, Anthony’s time with the Houston Rockets is ending. Houston Rockets GM, Daryl Morey, denies Melo’s departure. Morey says that criticism of Anthony is “unfair” and added that Anthony has done everything asked of him and the coaching staff. Morey also noted that more people besides Anthony deserve blame for Houston’s start to the season.

The Rockets are off to a rough start.

Chris Paul’s suspension and James Harden’s hamstring injury has them sitting at 5-7, tenth place in the NBA’s Western Conference.

Per Clutchpoints, the Rockets met with Anthony not even a month into the season to discuss his future with the team. There are plenty of rumors going around that Melo has played his last game in Houston, though nothing is official yet.

A ten-time NBA All Star, Anthony signed with the Houston Rockets this summer after clearing waivers in the trade that shipped him from the Oklahoma City Thunder the Atlanta Hawks.

The Rockets needed help at the small forward position. Trevor Ariza bolted Houston and signed a one-year $15 million deal with the Phoenix Suns this summer. “He played good defense on guys,” former Houston Rockets forward, Robert Horry told me this summer.

“They didn’t want to play defense on guys like Kevin Durant.”

Added Horry:

“You know it’s crazy, I live in Houston and I watch the Rockets play a lot. I see the way they play and I don’t think they gave [Trevor] Ariza enough credit for what he did for that team.”

With rumors that Carmelo Anthony is out the door, million dollar question: Will he join the Los Angeles Lakers?

USA Today’s Erik García Gundersen says it’s very unlikely he’ll join them sooner or later.

Per Gundersen: Anthony has a history with LeBron James, but the Lakers haven’t had a good start defensively to the season and adding Anthony would only exacerbate their issues.

It would effectively cancel out what they’ve added in Tyson Chandler.

Another team worth considering Anthony if he were released by the Houston Rockets is the Philadelphia 76ers, per NBA insider Chris Sheridan.

I am hearing the @Sixers are kicking the tires on the idea of claiming @carmeloanthony off waivers if the @HoustonRockets let him go. Definite need for Philly, with @dariosaric gone and @mikemuscala the only other option at the 4 right now.

— Chris Sheridan (@sheridanhoops) November 12, 2018

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Sheridan pointed out that after trading Dario Saric and Robert Covington for Jimmy Butler, the Sixers certainly can use a player or two—specifically a stretch four who can shoot.

Per Philadelphia’s 94 WIP’s Andrew Porter, top sportsbook BetDSI lists Philly as the favorites to be Anthony’s next team.

The Boston Celtics’ Kyrie Irving wants in on the Carmelo Anthony Sweepstakes!  The point guard hinted that the C’s might have a spot for Anthony, per Yahoo Sports:  “Right now I think it would be nice if we had someone that was a 15-year vet, a 14-year vet that could kind of help us race along the regular season and understand it’s a long marathon rather than just a full-on sprint.”

Anthony has averaged 13.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game with the Rockets this season.

As per Bleacher Report, his defense, in particular, has been difficult to mask—the team allows 9.1 more points per 100 possessions when he’s on the floor, per NBA.com—and Houston has been impressed with the play of undrafted rookie Gary Clark.