J-Speaks: 'Melo On the Move Again

Two off-seasons back, the Houston Rockets were really high on acquiring a perennial All-Star from the “Big Apple” to help them bring a Larry O’Brien trophy to “Clutch City.” This off-season they were able to make that a reality by signing the future Hall of Famer. Unfortunately, this marriage was short-lived because of his inability to mesh with their style of play. Earlier this week the Rockets and said player parted ways as he was dealt to the “Windy City.” 

On Tuesday the Rockets, who are now the Nov. 5 Seed in the rugged Western Conference at 27-20 after an 11-14 start traded 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony along with the draft rights to Tadija Dragicevic and cash considerations the Chicago Bulls for the draft rights to Jon Diebler. 

Anthony who averaged 13.4 points in 10 games with the Rockets has not played since Nov. 8, 2018 and was traded by the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Atlanta Hawks in July 2018. That move was proceeded by his release, which paved the way for him to sign with the Rockets, joining forces with the dynamic All-Star backcourt of fellow perennial All-Star and good friend Chris Paul and reigning Kia MVP James Harden. 

Since the future Hall of Famer does not figure into their plans going forward, the Bulls will look to either deal Anthony before the Feb. 7 trade deadline, which is in two weeks from today or they will waive him and make him an unrestricted free agent once he clears waivers. 

According to ESPN’s NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the Bulls will not immediately deal Anthony as they want to see if they can use him in a one-for-one trade before the deadline. 

This gives him the time and freedom to survey the landscape of “The Association” post-trade deadline if he is not dealt and eventually waived to see what team best fits him. 

The Los Angeles Lakers (25-23), who are on the outside of the West playoff picture at the No. 9 spot have had an interest in Anthony but do not plan to waive anyone on their current roster to create a spot for him. A league source did say if a roster spot were to open up with the Lakers before or after the trade deadline, that might change things. 

There was a time when Anthony was the most wanted player by certain teams in the NBA. Four off-seasons back when Anthony was a free agent, the Bulls then coached by now former Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau tried wooing Anthony-a then top-level free agent—to join them in the “Windy City.” 

That never materialized as Anthony re-signed a new five-year deal with the New York Knicks, who traded him two summers back to the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

The Rockets believed that Anthony was the missing piece they needed to get past the now back-to-back defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors and win their first title since winning back-to-back championships in 1994 and 1995. 

The Rockets though limped out the starting gates of this season at 6-7 and the emergence of rookie Gary Clark at the time brought a true reality that Anthony’s role on the team had to be reduced. 

“We just had to see how things worked out,” Coach D’Antoni said at that time. “And the way we play probably wasn’t conducive to his game and he was trying to make the necessary sacrifices and it wasn’t fair to him as a Hall of Fame player to play in a way that wasn’t good for him, wasn’t good for us. It just wasn’t a fit.” 

Over the past two seasons, Anthony has struggled to put it mildly in his last two stops since being dealt out of the “Big Apple.” He struggled mightily as the third wheel in Oklahoma City behind perennial All-Stars in 2017 Kia MVP and Paul George averaging a then career-low 16.2 points in 78 starts on 40.4 percent from the field. 

While he came to the Rockets this summer and accepted a reserve role for the first time in his 16-year career, coming off the bench in eight of the 10 games he played with the Rockets things just did not work out as he shot 41 percent from the field and just 33 percent from three-point range. 

Anthony’s last appearance for the Rockets as mentioned was on Nov. 8, 2018, a 98-80 blow out loss ironically enough at the now No. 3 Seed in the West Thunder (29-18) on TNT. He had just two points and five boards in that last appearance.

While Anthony was a solid fit in the locker room and really got along with all his teammates and received nothing but praise for his attitude and work ethic from head coach Mike D’Antoni and general manager Daryl Morey, he just did not fit the Rockets’ style of play of shooting threes and getting shot attempts at the basket as often as possible. 

“In the summer we tried to hit a home run and it didn’t work out,” Coach D’Antoni said of the Anthony acquisition. “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.” 

The question now for Anthony is where does he end up pre or post trade deadline in two weeks from now? 

While there is a slim shot he might end up in the “City of Angels” with the Lakers, it is very unlikely. 

As ESPN’s Zach Lowe put it on the Tuesday edition of ESPN’s “NBA: The Jump,” “If it’s not the Lakers I don’t know where it’s going to be.” 

“You got to look at teams who’s desperate to make the playoffs? Who’s offense stinks? And, who’s just kind a need a live body?” 

One team that Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady suggested that Anthony should consider and would be perfect with the offensive skill set he brings to the table is the current No. 4 Seed in the West the Portland Trail Blazers (29-20) and their dynamic scoring backcourt of All-Star Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. 

“I think you put a guy like Carmelo Anthony, coming off their bench and providing offense. ‘Melo can get you 16 to 20 points of their bench,” he said. 

“They don’t play that type of up style tempo where he just catch-and-shoot. I think you can actually go to ‘Melo to his strengths in the mid-post and be a threat for them. Take some pressure off these two guys (Lillard and McCollum) Whose coming off their bench that gives them consistent scoring.”

While the possibility of Anthony joining the Trail Blazers is intriguing, is that something they would consider and is it something they want to do. 

For starters there is the issue of fitting Anthony into their team, which has won 14 of their past 21 games, which includes three wins in their past four games. 

Then there is the question of whose minutes between the likes of veteran forwards Maurice Harkless and Al-Farouq Aminu, and second-year out of the University of Maryland in forward Jake Layman, whose scored in double-figures in half of the Trail Blazers 12 games this month, including five straight from Jan. 13-21. 

What many professional athletes want more than anything in their career is to leave their profession on their own terms. A majority do not get to have that finish like the great Michael Jordan or Hall of Famer now executive with the Denver Broncos of the NFL John Elway did where they were able to leave the game champions. 

Carmelo Anthony is a future Hall of Famer, borderline First Ballot who won a title in his only year in college for the Syracuse Orangemen and has three Olympic Gold medals to his name. He has had a great career and he has handled himself in as professional of a manner as you possibly can, especially his time with the Knicks. 

It is one thing if you were a complete jerk in his career and rubbed people the wrong way from the jump. For Anthony, his inability to fit his game in a reduced role to fit with the Thunder and Rockets is why it did not work out. 

It would be a shame if he did not get another chance with another team, even if it just a team that will have a short playoff run it is way better than not even getting a chance. If there is anyone that has earned that chance it is Anthony and it looks like right now his best shot might be with the Trail Blazers if it can happen. 

“He is ready to go. He can help these guys get to the next level,” McGrady said. “I’m telling you they need a bonified scorer. They need that other guy. He’s that other guy.” 

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 1/22/19 3 p.m. edition of “NBA: The Jump,” on ESPN with Rachel Nichols, Zach Lowe, Jackie MacMullan, and Tracy McGrady; 1/22/19 www.nba.com story, “Report: Rockets Agree to Trade Carmelo Anthony to Bulls;” 1/22/19 www.nba.com story, “Houston Rockets Trade Carmelo Anthony To Bulls:” www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/2982268/jake-layman; and www.espn.com/nba/standings.