The Houston Rockets might have found a new home for veteran forward Carmelo Anthony. Then again … maybe not.
According to a report Monday by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Rockets agreed to trade Anthony and cash considerations to the Chicago Bulls. Wojnarowski, citing league sources, wrote that the Bulls reportedly will waive the 10-time All-Star, allowing him to become a free agent if he clears waivers.
With the open spot on the roster, the Rockets have signed former Brooklyn Nets forward Kenneth Faried.
After the team struggled to a 6-7 start in the 2018-19 season, Anthony and the Rockets agreed to go their separate ways in mid-November. He signed a one-year, $2.4 million deal during the offseason, but played in only 10 games for the Rockets, eight of them coming off the bench, and averaged 13.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
In November, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said, “Carmelo had a tremendous approach during his time with the Rockets and accepted every role head coach Mike D’Antoni gave him. 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.”
D’Antoni noted that it wasn’t an attitude problem that led to Anthony’s eventual departure.
“In the summer we tried to hit a home run and it didn’t work out,” D’Antoni said. “He tried everything he could. He was great while he was here. It just didn’t work out for whatever reason. I just thank him for his professionalism. It was good. He tried everything he could to make it work and it just didn’t work out.”
In his NBA career that began with the Denver Nuggets after he was their third overall pick in the 2003 draft, the 34-year-old Anthony has averaged 24.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 16 seasons. He was also a member of the New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder.
—Field Level Media
