The Thunder intend to part ways with Carmelo Anthony this summer, whether that means trading him, waiving and stretching him, or buying him out and stretching him. With a trade considered a long shot, potential suitors for Anthony expect him to reach the open market, at which point he’ll likely be “pursued vigorously” by contending teams, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarwoski and Royce Young.
According to Wojnarowski and Young, the Rockets, Heat, and Lakers are among the teams expected to express interest in Anthony. Word of Houston’s interest was first tweeted by Marc Stein of The New York Times.
The Rockets have their $5.337MM taxpayer mid-level exception available and pursued Anthony last summer. Heading to Houston would allow Anthony to compete for a title and join old friend Chris Paul.
Anthony could also team up with a close friend in Los Angeles, with LeBron James poised to sign with the Lakers. L.A. still has about $5.6MM in cap room available, so the club would be able to offer Carmelo more than the minimum.
As for the Heat, they haven’t used any of their mid-level exception, so they’d be able to go up to $5.337MM, or perhaps even higher if they’re willing to hard-cap themselves. They might not be as close to title contention as the Rockets or Lakers, but the Heat could have a clearer path to a deep playoff run than L.A. at least, given how much more competitive the West will be. They’d also have a Banana-Boater on their roster if Dwyane Wade opts to return.
Recognizing that the Thunder will have to let him go at some point, Anthony may not be incentivized to surrender much money in a buyout agreement with Oklahoma City. However, if he knows he has a $5MM+ offer lined up with another team, it could push him to give up a little of his Thunder salary to accelerate the process.
Go to Indiana Melo, you would get to play behind Oladipo and get 15-20 shots a night there. Turner and Oladipo would be a nice duo for him to play with plus they’ve got Evans.
Indiana won’t want him.
NFW! Stupid suggestion. You must play defense if you are on Pacers roster. He has lost his shot. Pacers roster is set. Melo is locker room cancer.
What did the Pacers do to you?
I love how self-righteous pacers fans are. :)
I think he would actually be a nice pick up for the Rockets after losing Ariza. Not sure if people realize how big of a blow that was losing that guy for them. As. Lakers fan I guess I wouldn’t mind getting him for one year but I’d hate to see someone com in stunt the growth of the some of the young guys unless he was coming off the bench and in a limited role but I doubt he’d really want that.
He’s either going to Indy or Portland.
Says the guy who “guaranteed” that LeBron was going to Miami.
I guarantee he is not going to Indy. I doubt they’d even be interested in him cuz they’d be afraid of disrupting the chemistry with that cancer
Absolutely no way he goes to either of those places. I can’t see it. He will go to the Clippers, Rockets or Lakers I think but then again I’m just guessing so can’t say for sure but I feel very strongly there is no way he goes to Indy or Portland.
You as a Lakers fan wouldn’t know that losing Ariza is hardly a big deal to the Rockets. He’s not irreplaceable.
If I’m the lakers I try trading Deng and Zubac and whatever other piece if salaries don’t match with a second round pick for Melo to see if they take it, since Melo only has a 1 year deal they get rid of that extra year on Deng’s
No the Lakers don’t need Melo they already have Kuzma and Ingram.
Main point of my proposed deal would be to get rid of that extra year of Deng
Dude OKC is in luxury tax super hell. They cannot take any salary because they are in like triple penalty tax. Deng contract would be worse for them. Smelo’s contract would cost them like 100 million or more in tax just to pay them bum the 28 mill they owe him.
Try it and watch Lavar Ball mess up the deal some way, somehow.
Agree bring in Smelo and that cuts back on minutes played by Kuz & Ingraham. They go to the back of the Buss. Me & my cash is the song Smelo has always sung. Best paid bum in NBA history and yes I wish I had his cash
Houston. Los Angeles has too many head cases. LeBron, Lavar, Lance, Javelle, Rondo, Kyle Kuzma-Lonzo Ball (told to stop tweeting to each other), Caldwell-Pope (missed games due to old violation).
Luke has his hands full. Wade may not be back in Miami.
Not to mention his relationship with wade. Win win.
Sorry, meant to post on comment below
If I’m miami, I’d definitely sign him and see what they can get. Just for one season. The East is wide open and with a motivated Melo along with our core, and although it wouldn’t make us title contenders, I can easily see a 3/4 seed next year.
Going to LA to steal minutes from younger core (Kuz & Ingrham) Magic will sign this bum. Quite the pile of misfit pieces Lakers are compiling. Coach Walton will be coughing up blood like Ty Lue trying to coach these screwballs. I liked Walton and think he is getting pooped on. Why didnt Magic man take coach along to meet His Highness Lord Lebrick? Walton isn’t Magic guy and leaving him out proves it.
He’ll be a Rocket. It’s where he wanted to go last season. It’s where he will be this season. The 4 spot is open here in Houston.
Agreed. Rockets
Melo will go to and start in Houston. They wanted him last year after they got Paul. It’s a done deal.
Deng and zubac for melo you heard it here first.
ROFLMAO
if Magic can get D Wade & I hear TO is working out and wants to play for the Lakers. Now there is a fit for the ages
I still think its a dumb move for OKC to get rid of him, but the owner obviously cares more about saving money, especially after he tricked Paul George into signing a 4 year deal, obviously assuming they’d try to get better. All they needed was a shooter….
But their loss could be my team’s gain. Hope the Heat get him. That would be awesome. Dragic, Richardson, McGruder, Melo, Whiteside/James Johnson. Tyler Johnson, Justise Winslow, Wayne Ellington, Kelly Olynyk, Dion Waiters, Bam Adebayo, Derrick Jones off the bench with a lot of depth. And hopefully Wade and UD come back…only thing would be a pretty crowded rotation, but I think Melo could significantly help this team with scoring in the half court
Would you please explain your reasoning know that OKC is in triple penalty tax land and would have to pay the NBA 100 in luxury tax to pay Melo 28 mill…It makes no sense to to do that. If you have sound reasons I would like to hear them.. This website has a great article explaining the Luxury tax and its ramifications. I found it interesting and suggest you read it. NBA has salary around 101 mill, luxury tax kicks in an ascending scale after 123 mill. These amounts raise year to year. If you are a repeater they hit you even harder
Ya they save a lot of money, but there is no chance they add anyone that can impact them the way Melo does, especially with them being in the luxury tax regardless. Its 1 year. They kept Paul George and Jerian Grant. They should have been trying to add a shooter and go for it. There is no time for being cheap when you’re trying to win, and there isnt an alternative. Get rid of Kyle Singler if you’re trying to save some money.
And I’ll remind those that continue to hate on him that they got him for Enes Kanter, which means you could be stuck with way worse
…and to reiterate what I said earlier, there is no spacing on that team, and he was their best floor space. So they found a way to get worse in that regard. Unless 1-2 guys somehow improve relatively significantly from 3, that’s an even bigger issue than it was this last year
Jerry West and the Clippers could hit reset entirely and trade Gallinari and Teodosic for Anthony and a pick if OKC was game.
OKC could then release Teodosic for immediate relief as only $2.1MM of his $6.3MM is guaranteed. Keeping Gallo just one year and stretching him before 2019/2020 would still save OKC $2.2MM the following two seasons over what they’d pay to waive and stretch Anthony now.
Probably not enough savings for OKC, but possible.
Melo would also have to waive his NTC, which would make a Clippers-Thunder scenario even less likely unless OKC stood firm on a really low-ball, take-it-or-leave-it buyout offer.
Jerry West doesnt have Alzheimers so I do not think it will happen
I hope he goes to the Rockets and ruins them too.
When I think of someone being a cancer to a team, the first person I think of is melo. I wouldn’t sign if i were a contending team
Go talk to the Ball family in LA
How about the fact that he sucks now!? He plays no defense, jacks up ridiculous shot after ridiculous shot, wants to dominate the ball/play iso. He isn’t a winning piece anymore. He’d be OK as a scorer off the bench playing 15-20 minutes a night, but he still thinks of himself as a superstar.. watching him play is infuriating. Straight clown ball
You could start with any of those.
Billy Donovan hasnt done anything to differentiate from Scott Brooks, who was always their issue…therefore, he is their issue
But in reality, I always expected them to add a shooter or 2 at the deadline or through buyouts and they never did. That was the problem this year. To blame Melo is a joke. You also have to factor in not having Roberson significantly effected their defense…when OKC had Westbrook, Roberson, PG13, Melo, and Adam’s together, they were like 22-1. Stop with this narrative that Melo is some sort of problem. They need shooting to complement those 3 guys. I thought they’d be in on Belineli and ilyasova before Philly got them
If Ferguson can give them anything on the wing, and they add another guy, prefarably a shooter, and if Patterson is healthier, I think they would have been much improved next year if they brought their guys back
How do you blame Billy D for Smelo missing shots. He needs to do his ISO one + one moves, clear the court for big Carmelo and let him work. Ball just stops moving when he gets it. That style of play is long dead in NBA. He cannot catch n shoot like OKC needed him to do. Yes losing Roberson did hurt them but poor Carmelo play hurt them much more.
There is no spacing on the floor. Melo is a really good catch and shoot 3 point shooter. He was pretty much their only spacer. Now they need shooting even more
Getting rid of Melo is addition by subtraction basketball wise, and “saves” 100 mm. Even if George signed elsewhere, and there were no financial savings, Melo needed to be moved. George would not have signed without an understanding that Melo be moved or made to accept the role the coaches wanted him to play. In discussions with the team, Melo made it clear he intended to be many times as toxic in the coming year.
Any way, nobody pays 150 mm in luxury tax (on top of 160 mm in salary). The Warriors (with dramatic championship revenues) and Cavs (with LBJ burden) set tax records last year, and their combined tax didn’t come anywhere close to that (under 2/3rd). For perspective, the OKC franchise was purchased in 2006 for about 325 mm, and they could borrow some of that. Their payroll this year (salary and tax) is at least 310 mm, and it will easily pass the franchise purchase price if remaining slots on the roster are filled at minimum wage (at 6 or 7 x salary). It was never intended that this be paid. Silly to do so.
I’m rooting for Carmelo landing on the Lakers. That circus will be incredible to watch.
Agreed
As I recall Smelo played for Dantoni when he was Knicks coach and it did not go too well. Why would Dantoni take him now. While I admit it could happen it makes more sense he ends up in Lakerland. poor coach Walton and end of the young core. No more minutes for them to develope and sitting on the bench doesn’t facilitate rapid improvement
Dantoni runs a 7 second or less run n gun offense. Can Smelo even do that? Or come to LA with Lebrick who walks the ball up left side with left hand and rarely fast break
Its amazing how hateful some people can be
They learn it in church
Never ever I have heard that Melo is a cancer in the locker room, just like DH12, I think haters just like to make things up. Didn’t know D’Anthony played a 7″ offense, when Harden gets the ball, pummels the living lights out of it for 23″ & then shoots… so Melo fits in, the problem is that with 2 ball dominant players like CP3 & the Beard if you add Melo they need to play with 3 balls to keep all happy, ain’t gonna work.
Not the locker room, but on the court. He’s all about himself scoring, which he always has been. The difference is that now he’s older and can’t score like he could, so he can’t get away with his iso ball. He’s stated he doesn’t want to be a role player. It’s all about him, not winning. I don’t want him on my team
Dantoni basically invented the 7 second offense in Phoenix when he coached Steve Nash & co. Robert Horry knocking Nash over, robbing Phoenix. Remember? He was brought to Houston to run a variation of it to help Harden be more productive and it has worked. Kevin McHale offense seemed slow, predictable, lacking any NBA innovation. There were other issues causing his sacking. Probably drunk
Melo to get a buyout and head to Houston once Rockets buyout Andersons contract, where Anderson will end up in OKC