Harry How/Getty Images Carmelo Anthony appeared on ESPN's First Take on Friday and opened up about how he felt when he was released by the Rockets and his desire to still play the game.
Carmelo Anthony’s tenure with the Houston Rockets didn’t last long.
He only played ten games.Former NBA All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas wasn’t surprised. In fact he called it a disaster.
“I remember the reports named Houston as a possible destination for him to land,” Gilbert Arenas told Dallas Mavericks beat writer, Landon Buford.
“I said, ‘Hell no,’ don’t go there, it is going be a disaster and it is not going to work. You just for the first time in your career played with two ball-dominant players (Russell Westbrook and Paul George in OKC) and it made you the third option. So, to go right back to a team that is going to make you again the third option is a disaster.”
A 10-time NBA All-Star, Anthony has averaged 24.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists in his 16-year career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets.
So what’s next?
“I think next season a team will possibly bring him in,” NBA Hall of Famer, Grant Hill told me in March.
Melo has contemplated retirement.
In an interview with Taryn Finley of the Huffington Post, Melo suggested that he is at peace with the fact he may not play much longer. “I’m sure [retirement is] coming soon,” he said.
“I’d be sitting lying to you if I said it’s not coming soon. I think I want it to come soon. I don’t think I want to do this forever, but because you love it so much, it’s hard to give it up. At the end of the day, at anything you do, when it’s your time to go, it’s your time to go. But as long as you feel good with that.”
While Carmelo Anthony has been away from the game, he’s been spending a ton of time going to his son, Kiyan’s basketball games.
“He’s a great player,” New York Knick, Lance Thomas told me in December.
“He’s a great teammate, most importantly he’s a great human being and he’s always been a great advocate for the NBA as a brand. 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.”
Now, the 35-year-old is waiting for the best deal to come around.
While he’s been away from the game, he’s been spending a ton of time going to his son, Kiyan’s basketball games.
The Lakers do have one final roster spot and many believe that Carmelo Anthony still has some game left in the tank to compete against many of the NBA’s elite.
The Lakers and Anthony had mutual interests toward the end of last season — until a mound of LA losses occurred.
The Lakers had quite a busy offseason. Six players returned from last season.
That list includes: LeBron James, Kyle Kuzma, JaVale McGee, Rajon Rondo, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso.
Lakers newcomers include: Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, Danny Green, Avery Bradley, Jared Dudley, Quinn Cook, Troy Daniels and rookie Talen Horton-Tucker.
The Lakers also have a new head coach in Frank Vogel and assistant coach in Jason Kidd.
“His first year in the league, he took a 17-win Nuggets team to the Playoffs in the West as a rookie,” said Fox Sports’ Chris Broussard.
“He is one of the best 300 players in the world that’s not playing,” TNT’s Kenny Smith told me in April.
“You can’t say he’s not one of the best 300 players.”
Anthony has been working out with members of the Brooklyn Nets in Los Angeles.
According to a report by SNY’s Ian Begley and Anthony Puccio, Anthony and the Nets have participated in informal workouts.
Per Puccio and Begley: “It is unknown if the Nets are one of the teams that Anthony and his representatives have talked to about a potential signing. The club’s interest level in signing Anthony to a contract is also unknown.”
Melo to Brooklyn from a basketball standpoint makes sense.
The Nets have a potent roster with names like Caris LeVert, Joe Harris and Spencer Dinwiddie complimenting Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
The Nets will likely be without Durant this season as he recovers from a ruptured Achilles tendon.
“He could be a bench player asset to play and may be a good cheap replacement in a sense for KD this season,” Josh Hicks of Chicago’s Regal Radio suggested to me this afternoon.
Nonetheless, the Nets have a huge season ahead.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Nets center, Jarrett Allen told AM New York’s Derrel Jazz Johnson.
“I feel like I had a pretty good season last year. I have a lot to show them. I have a lot of knowledge in my mind that I can share with them.”
Shaquille O’Neal likes the new-look Nets because it gives New York something to talk about in hoops other than the New York Knicks.
“Jay-Z gave them a little steam when he said he was the owner,” Shaq told Scoop B Radio.
“He’s going to be there with KD so they should make a lot of noise. The only unfortunate part for the first time in New York history the Knicks aren’t the important team. That’s kind of funny to me.”