Getty Images Houston Rockets forward Carmelo Anthony
Where on Earth will Carmelo Anthony play next?
“When the time is right he will speak out,” a source close to Carmelo Anthony told me via e-mail.
Carmelo Anthony has not played NBA basketball since November.
A ten-time NBA All-Star, Anthony signed with the Houston Rockets this summer after clearing waivers in a trade that shipped him from the Oklahoma City Thunder the Atlanta Hawks.
The third overall pick in the 2003 draft, Anthony’s last appearance with the Houston Rockets came in a blowout loss to Oklahoma City on Nov. 8 when he had two points and five rebounds.
According to a report from Sam Amick and Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Anthony has “multiple options available,” and plans to make a decision on his NBA future prior to the Feb. 7 trade deadline.
According to two sources with knowledge of Anthony’s situation, the exiled 10-time All-Star who remains on the Houston Rockets roster has multiple options available and is expected to pick one before the Feb. 7 trade deadline. There is no clarity as to whether he would be traded in these scenarios or waived and subsequently signed, but there are strong signs that he will play in the NBA again.
For now, the current Houston Rocket has decided to do one thing: “To stay quiet,” another Melo associate told me.
NBA analyst Chris Sheridan chatted with me on the Scoop B Radio Podcast in December and said something happened between the team that “they don’t want out yet.”
“Still trying to figure that out,” Sheridan said via Scoop B Radio.
“I was in the arena at San Antonio the night he disappeared. They were saying he’s out with the flu. And it actually was a flu bug going around the team. The coach stated that James Harden was sniffling and Chris Paul was too. So there really was a flu bug going around during that game.”
The Rockets have said all of the right things since Melo and the Rockets parted ways.
“Carmelo had a tremendous approach during his time with the Rockets and accepted every role head coach Mike D’Antoni gave him,” Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey said in November.
“The fit we envisioned when Carmelo chose to sign with the Rockets has not materialized, therefore we thought it was best to move on as any other outcome would have been unfair to him.”
With Melo still under contract with the Houston Rockets, he’ll either be bought out or traded.
“He can still contribute,” ESPN NBA analyst, Jalen Rose told TMZ.
“It’s just … finding the right opportunity is tough because unless there’s a major injury, a contender team probably wouldn’t add him. And then, a lottery team is probably looking to ‘Stop tryin’ for Zion,’ so they’re tanking in a lot of ways.”
“Maybe an injury happens and he gets back in the league.”
Los Angeles Lakers?
GettyLos Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and guard Rajon Rondo
Anthony is a close friend to Lakers All-Star forward, LeBron James, something many people believe he has in his favor.
“The Lakers want their flexibility for next season,” says Sheridan.
Philadelphia 76ers?
Getty ImagesJimmy Butler and Ben Simmons getting back on defense
The Sixers have a glaring need for a power forward after trading Dario Saric to Minnesota in the Jimmy Butler deal.
“Depends on the Fultz situation. But right now that story remains to be seen. We have to wait and judge it in the future.”
Portland Trail Blazers?
Getty ImagesDamian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers have one of the best backcourts in the NBA’s Western Conference with C.J. McCollum and Damian Lillard. They also have solid role players around them.
“I think he wants to go somewhere where he’s a difference maker,” Chris Sheridan said on Scoop B Radio.
“But if he wants a difference, chances it would be Portland.”
San Antonio Spurs?
Having won multiple U.S.A. Basketball gold medals, Carmelo Anthony has a good relationship with San Antonio Spurs head coach, Gregg Popovich.
That would be an easy sell, right?
“I think he will fit in their system,” says Sheridan.
Denver Nuggets?
Getty ImagesCarmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson during their days with the Nuggets.
Per Clutch Points’ Omar Guerrero:
Should the 10-time All-Star get waived, then the Nuggets could sign him without losing any of their major assets. They could easily free up a spot on the roster to accommodate him. It’s very probable that Anthony understands by now that his best chance of landing a spot in a playoff team is if he is willing to play in limited minutes, coming off the bench to relieve some of the younger guys on the Nuggets’ roster.
Carmelo Anthony Has the Respect of His Peers
GettyThe New York Knicks said goodbye to Carmelo Anthony, trading the superstar forward to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“I would just love for him to get the respect he deserves,” New York Knicks forward, Lance Thomas told me last month.
Thomas played with Anthony during his Knicks days and says that Melo has a lot left in the tank.
“So I just want him to get back on a team and play the sport he loves that’s paved a way for him and his family, and he just loves to play basketball, so I really want him back on a team.”
Wherever Anthony ends up, it seems to come down to whether he wants to start or come off the bench. comes down to thing: “He’s definitely good enough to be a NBA starter,” says Chris Sheridan.
“But he may be better as a scorer off the bench.”