Anderson happy he’s not going anywhere
Over the years, Ryan Anderson often heard rumors he would be traded to the Rockets. He never was. By the time this summer’s rumors became that he would be traded by the Rockets, it was easier to dismiss them.
Anderson, whom the Rockets signed as a free agent in 2016, was considered the centerpiece in a potential trade to acquire Carmelo Anthony, but he said the team kept him informed enough for him to know a deal was unlikely. Speculation ended Saturday with word Anthony would be traded from New York to Oklahoma City.
“It’s nothing new for me,” Anderson said. “It took me four years just to get here, talking about trade rumors. I steer clear of it. I don’t really look online. I don’t follow Twitter or Instagram. It’s hard to avoid it because people are coming to you wanting to talk about it. It’s out of my control. It’s going into my 10th year. It’s part of the game. You can’t take it personal.
“I had a lot of conversations with Daryl (Morey, the Rockets’ general manager), with Gersson (Rosas, the vice president). Talking to them, there was a low probability that trade was going to happen. I didn’t put too much energy into whether I was going to be or wasn’t going to be traded. They were very honest with me. No ill will or anything. Now I can come in, 100 percent mindset.”
Anderson has been traded twice but did not want to leave Houston after one season any more than to hear his name in trade rumors.
“People speculate,” Anderson said. “Writers want to write the story. They want people to be interested in what’s going on. I just wanted to be positive and be ready to go. We (Anderson and his wife) didn’t want to get traded. We love it here. The first year, you’re getting used to the city, the team and everything. Having a year under our belt here is great. It’s so much more comfortable joining this team and this staff. We were excited to be back here.
“It’s been a busy offseason. It’s been really great, though. I got married. Had a great little honeymoon in New Zealand. Got a lot of work in also. Down about 10 pounds from last year. I want to really come in in good shape and have a great season. It’s been a really, really nice offseason, but I’m ready to get back to work.”