J-Speaks: The Inevitable for Carmelo Anthony and the Thunder

After a disappointing finish to their season, losing in the opening round against the Utah Jazz in six games, the Oklahoma City Thunder had three very important objectives in the 2018 NBA off-season. Re-sign Paul George, which they did to a new four-year, $137 million deal. Keep some of the key role players, while adding depth to the roster. In the draft, the Thunder selected guard Devon Hall out of Virginia and forward Kevin Hervey in June with the No. 53 and No. 57 pick respectably. In free agency they re-signed forward Jerami Grant to a three-year, $27 million deal and backup guard Raymond Felton to a one-year, $2.4 million deal. The one move that really put the squeeze on the Thunder’s payroll was the other star they added last off-season decided to opt-in to the final year of his contract, which has put them at a major crossroads where his short time with the team will eventually come to a conclusion. 

One week ago, 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony, who the Thunder acquired in the summer of 2017 decided to opt in to the final year of the five-year contract he signed with the New York Knicks in the summer of 2014 when he was a free agent. By opting in, Anthony will be making $27.9 million for the 2018-19 NBA campaign. 

That move by Anthony along with the other moves the Thunder made this season put them at a historic payroll, that consists of a combined salary for the upcoming season along the luxury tax of $310 million. 

For a team that in the time of having General Manager Sam Presti at the helm, the Thunder have been a team that was never willing to pay into the luxury tax at that high of a number, which is why a few years ago, they decided to trade now All-Star and the most recently named league MVP James Harden to the Houston Rockets instead of keeping him and having to pay him a huge contract. 

This is likely going to be the same case for Anthony as his agent, Leon Rose of CAA Sports and Mr. Presti are working through three scenarios which will culminate in the inevitable ending of Anthony’s brief stay with the Thunder which could deliver according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks a $107 million in savings. 

The first scenario the Thunder could use to move the 34-year-old Anthony on is to waive him and use the stretch provision, which would slash $90 million in luxury tax, which would shrink the Thunder’s bill from $150 million to $60 million. It would spread Anthony’s salary annually onto OKC’s cap for $9.3 million dollars over three years, according to a espn.com article by Adrian Wojnarowski and Royce Young. 

The first plan of attack the Thunder said they would try to move on from Anthony would be to trade him to a team looking to acquire a massive aspiring contract to make free salary-cap space for free agency in 2019. 

If the Thunder decide to go this route, Anthony holds nearly all the cards in this scenario because of the no-trade clause in his contract, which is why the Knicks when Phil Jackson was team president could not get him off their books. That whatever possible trade they came up he would have to okay it. 

If the trade is just a way for the Thunder to dump Anthony’s salary with the understanding of whoever acquires him would waive him and allow Anthony to become an unrestricted free agent. 

Among the team’s that would express interest in the small forward are the Rockets, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers. 

The last but unlikely scenario that would take place is the Thunder simply buy Anthony out of his contract. Meaning, paying him close to his salary of $27.9 million and allow him to be an unrestricted free agent. 

This is not the way Anthony, a three-time Olympic Gold Medalist envisioned his time with the Thunder, who when he was acquired to join George and 2017 league MVP Russell Westbrook in hopes of contending for Western Conference supremacy against the now back-to-back NBA champion Golden State Warriors. 

When Anthony joined the Thunder, he had to accept a new role that featured going from his natural starting position of small forward to power forward, where he was asked to become more of a perimeter spot-up, catch-and-shoot stretch-four. 

It took time for Anthony to adapt to his role, and while there were times he played like the player that became known as one of the most special scorers in NBA history, he never fully got comfortable as a stretch-forward. 

While he made a career-high 169 three-pointers during the regular season for the Thunder, who went 48-34 on the season to finish No. 4 in the rugged West, Anthony averaged a career-low 16.2 points, on a career-low 40.4 percent from the field. He did though provide a third legitimate third scorer behind Westbrook and George. 

“The reality for Carmelo is he had plenty of chances last season to be the guy,” ESPN’s Nick Friedell said on the 6 p.m. edition of ESPN’s “NBA: The Jump.” 

“He had plenty of open looks within the offense with Russell Westbrook and Paul George. It didn’t happen. The question to me is will his ego allow him after what will be likely a Hall of Fame career to come off a bench somewhere and have a reduced role from what he’s used to all these years later?” 

In the Quarterfinals against No. 5 Seeded Utah Jazz (48-34) despite having home court advantage, the “Big Three” of the No. 4 Seeded Thunder (48-34) were out of sink and were taken down 4-2 and bringing their season to a disappointing end. 

Anthony really struggled in the series scoring an average of just 11.8 points, shooting an abysmal 37.5 percent from the floor and 21.4 percent from three-point range. 

The frustration for Anthony really showed in Game 5 when the Thunder overcame a 25-point deficit to for a 107-99 victory on Apr. 25 to close the series gap to 3-2. 

While Westbrook had 33 of his 45 points in the second half, with 15 rebounds and seven assists and George had 34 points and eight boards of his own, Anthony had just seven points and five rebounds on 2 for 6 shooting, playing just 26 minutes in total. 

When he was subbed out in the third period, the Thunder were behind 71-53, when he came back into the game in the fourth quarter, they were ahead 88-87. 

During the Thunder spectacular comeback, Anthony emphatically pleaded with Hall of Fame assistant coach Maurice Cheeks to get back into the game. 

In the 96-91 loss at the Jazz two nights later that ended their season as mentioned in six games, Anthony again played just 26 minutes and just seven points and three boards on 3 for 7 shooting. While Westbrook had 46 points, 10 boards, five assists and two steals, George scored just five points on 2 for 16 from the field with eight assists. 

Following a difficult end to their season, Anthony expressed his frustrations with his role, which led to the inevitable parting of the ways with the Thunder. 

“I don’t think I can be effective as that type of player,” he said. “I think I was willing to accept that challenge in that role, but I think I bring a little bit more to the game as far as being more knowledgeable and what I still can do as a basketball player.” 

The other thing that Anthony made very clear is he would never accept a role coming off the bench. 

Despite those though comments following the season, both GM Presti and head coach Billy Donovan praised Anthony for his professionalism throughout the season. 

“I think he’s being very candid and very honest. I respect that. I respect the fact he’s being open about that,” Presti said. “Now, we have the same responsibility. We have to be candid and honest with him. One of the things I really like about Carmelo is he’s a mature person. You can talk to him. He listens. He’s been professional with us within the building. I’m sure there are nights he was frustrated because it’s a big transition that he’s trying to make—was trying to make—this season… We don’t know exactly how our team is going to look.” 

Before opting in to the final year of his contract prior to the June 29^th deadline, the Thunder communicated with Anthony and his representatives about plans for next season, which had the possibility of him having an even lesser role with the team. 

When Anthony waived his no-trade clause to be dealt to the Thunder last summer, he understood he would be playing power forward, like he did in his time with Team USA and that his role would be as the team’s third offensive option. 

He said that he “accepted” his role in December 2017 after a meeting with the team in ironically enough in New York. 

While he had a solid start to the season, scoring an average of 22.9 points the first seven games of the season on 46.5 percent from the field, he averaged 17.8 and 15.1 points in November and December 2017, on 38.7 and 40.7 percent from the floor respectably.

Things got a little better scoring wise to start the New Year with a scoring average of 18.1, but Anthony followed that up with averages on 13.4, 13.3 and 14.2 the final 2 ½ months of the regular season, and he shot a dismal 38.0 percent from the field following the All-Star break. 

With the end of Anthony’s time with the Thunder looming, the question is whenever he is released, traded, or bought out of the final year of his deal what is next for him. 

While it looks good on paper for him to join the Lakers (35-47) and be teamed up with their newest addition and his closet friend LeBron James, four-time league MVP, he would be in crowded front court with roster that consists of the most recent signings of Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, and JaVale McGee along with youngsters Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, and Josh Hart. 

If he can find his way to the Rockets, who were the No. 1 Seed in West with a franchise record 65 wins in the regular season he would fit a need for them at the small forward spot as last season’s starter Trevor Ariza signed a one-year $15 million deal to join the Phoenix Suns and they were the team that had the defending champion Warriors, the No. 2 Seed at 58-24 on the ropes in the Western Conference Finals but lost the series in seven games. 

The one issue is that he would be playing again for head coach Mike D’Antoni, who he had with the Knicks and it was reported that the relationship did not go so well a few years back. 

Byron Scott, three-time champion with the Lakers in the 1980s and former head coach with the New Jersey Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, New Orleans then Hornets and Lakers said that if Anthony wants to be a Rocket he has to understand that he will be the third and even the fourth or fifth offensive option with fewer offensive touches that he has been used to in his career. 

“If he’s willing to accept that role and just say, ‘Listen, I just want to focus in on winning,’ then Houston would be the best place for him,” Scott said. 

If the Heat come a calling and Anthony answers, he would be back in the Eastern Conference and be a part of a team where he would provide them a go-to scorer that they were serious lacking a season ago. 

The issue in playing for the Heat (44-38), who were the No. 6 Seed in East lost in the opening round against the No. 3 Seeded Philadelphia 76ers (52-30) in five games is that is he ready to be part of a team that takes being in tip-top condition very seriously. 

“I think there are places in this league, good teams that need a Carmelo Anthony more than just our desire for a reunion of buddies,” ESPN’s Amin Elhassan said on “NBA: The Jump” on Anthony reuniting with James in L.A. or joining Dwyane Wade likely with the Heat, if he decides to comeback for another year.

In the late stages of the summer of 2017, Carmelo Anthony waived his no-trade clause to be dealt from the New York Knicks to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He changed his game and his role on the team to for a chance at winning a title. He struggled for much of the season. He had a rough return to the postseason that ended at the hands of the Utah Jazz in five games. He made the decision to opt in to the final year of his five-year deal of $27.9 million and seems to be the odd man out with that high salary. 

No matter where Anthony ends up, he has to come to a major realization. He is not the player he once was where he can carry a team. His one-on-one isolation, dribble for five to 10 seconds of the 24 second clock until the best offensive option opens up does not work in today’s NBA that relies on ball movement, player movement and making spot-up or penetrate-and-kick three-pointers. Also, he has to come to the understanding that coming off the bench is not the worst thing in the world. 

When you have in your 15 seasons in "The Association" have seen your postseason run end in the First Round nine times; missed the postseason four times, all with the Knicks; two appearances in the Semifinals; one appearance in the Conference Finals and no appearances in The NBA Finals, Anthony's priority should be to do whatever it takes to get to a team that has a chance to compete for the only that has eluted him in his career, the Larry O’Brien trophy. 

“I think for me, my focus would be on kind of figuring out what I want out of the rest of my career, what I want in my future, what am I willing to accept, if I’m willing to accept that at all,” Anthony said back in April. “I think everybody know that I’ve sacrificed kind of damned near everything –family, moving here by myself, sacrificed my game—for the sake of the team, and was willing to sacrifice anything and everything in order for this situation to work out.”

“So, it’s something I really have to think about—if I really want to be this type of player, finish out my career as this type of player, knowing that I have so much left in the tank and I bring so much to the game of basketball.”

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 7/5/18 6 p.m. edition of “NBA: The Jump,” on ESPN with Jorge Sedano, Ramona Shelburne and Dahntay Jones; 7/6/18 6 p.m. edition of “NBA: The Jump,” on ESPNEWS with Rachel Nichols, Amin Elhassan, Nick Friedell and Mike Schmitz; 7/6/18 7 p.m. edition of “NBA: The Jump,” on ESPN with Rachel Nichols, Byron Scott, Amin Elhassan, and Chris Haynes; www.nba.com/draft/2018/teams/OKC#/; 7/6/18 www.espn.com article, “Sources: Thunder, Carmelo Anthony to Part Ways This Summer,” by Adrian Wojnarowski and Royce Young and www.espn.com/nba/player/splits/_/id/1975/carmelo-anthony.