Melo out
Anthony finished in OKC, has eyes for Lakers or Rockets
Carmelo Anthony will have the option of joining either LeBron James or Chris Paul once he finalizes his divorce from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Knicks trade with OKC last September is looking better by the day, especially when Anthony exercised the $27.9 million option in his contract.
With OKC re-signing Paul George, its payroll and luxury tax bill for the 2018-19 season is an NBA record $310 million. ESPN reported that severing ties with Melo, either via a buyout or the stretch provision, would save the Thunder nearly $100 million.
Once Anthony is released he'll become a free agent and likely sign with either the Lakers or Rockets. ESPN reported that Anthony, a 10-time All-Star and three-time Olympic gold medalist, also is expected to be pursued by the Miami Heat.
Last June, former Knicks president Phil Jackson was committed to trading Anthony to the Rockets. Anthony, who had a no-trade clause, had already agreed to a potential trade.
However, Jackson was fired June 28, 2017, and the Knicks, being run by Steve Mills, elected to postpone the deal. The deal would have included the Knicks acquiring Ryan Anderson.
Instead, the Knicks and Anthony's representatives sought another deal and eventually agreed to trade Anthony to OKC for Enes Kanter and Doug McDermott.
Anthony's minutes and role changed dramatically for the Thunder, who were eliminated in the first round by the Utah Jazz. Afterwards, Anthony complained that he had made a great sacrifice by agreeing to be traded to OKC and that he wouldn't accept a back-up role
Anthony, though, is better suited for a lesser role at this stage of his career. It is not known if a starting job will factor into Anthony's decision. The Rockets and Lakers are two obvious choices. In previous years, Anthony has expressed a desire to play with LeBron and/or Paul.
Anthony owns a home in Los Angeles and has been close to LeBron since playing against each other in high school. Anthony averaged a career-low 16.2 points last season while making a career-high 169 3-pointers.