New York Daily News

Carmelo likely through

Rockets may move on

- BY MARK FISCHER

Seems like a reunion with some Olympic team pals and coach Mike D’Antoni couldn’t save Carmelo Anthony’s career.

ESPN on Saturday reported that the Rockets were already having conversati­ons about Melo’s role, just 12 games into a sluggish 5-7 start from the preseason title contenders.

That apparently means ditching the former Knick, the New York Times reports.

“The Rockets have denied they are waiving Carmelo Anthony, but two sources close to the situation say Anthony has been informed that his brief time with the team will soon be ending,” tweeted Marc Stein late Sunday.

Anthony missed Houston’s loss to the Spurs on Saturday night and their victory Sunday due to an unspecifie­d illness.

“Yeah, that’s ... I’m sure you can address that with (GM) Daryl (Morey). I’m trying to win a game,” D’Antoni told reporters Saturday. “You need to talk to Daryl. On that one, I have no answer for you right now.

“Melo’s been great. What he’s been doing is backing up the 4.”

The truth is Anthony hasn’t been able to bounce back from the worst season of his 15-year career.

He is shooting just a tad over 40% in a career-low 29.4 minutes per game.

When Morey was asked Sunday whether Anthony still wants to be on the Rockets, the GM deflected.

“I mean, you’re asking the wrong guy,” he said. “Everything I can tell is yes.”

Morey also maintained that Anthony missing Sunday night’s game was due to illness, and had nothing to do with the rumors swirling.

“I would expect him to be playing when he’s healthy,” the GM said.

But after the Rockets beat the Pacers Sunday night, ESPN reported that, according to sources, Houston players and coaches believe Anthony has played his last game with the team.

Anthony’s buddy, Dwyane Wade, came to his defense Thursday as talk of Anthony becoming the Rockets’ scapegoat circulated.

“Trying to make my guy @carmeloant­hony the fall guy huh!? Man y’all need to stop. That’s the easy way out instead of addressing what the real problem,” Wade tweeted.

But Anthony hasn’t exactly been productive. Against his former Thunder teammates last Thursday, Anthony went a dismal 1-for-11 from the field, including 0-for-6 from beyond the arc.

Anthony signed a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract worth $2.4 million over the offseason with the Rockets, his third team over the past year. The Knicks dealt the former star to OKC last season in what turned out to be a botched experiment for the Thunder.

“Overall, looking back on it now, I had a great, great experience in New York,” Anthony said upon returning to New York to face the Nets earlier this month. “Last couple years was a little tough as far as losing and what I had to deal with, but other than that I had a helluva experience in New York.

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