Carmelo Anthony: 5 potential landings spots
2. Houston Rockets
As mentioned above, the Heat are one of the handful of teams thought to have serious interest in signing Carmelo Anthony after he leaves the Oklahoma City Thunder. Those teams are the Miami Heat, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets.
The Houston Rockets are among the teams that will have interest in Carmelo Anthony once he secures his free agency, according to league sources
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 6, 2018
Last season, Houston came incredibly close to knocking off the Golden State Warriors, but a combination of Chris Paul‘s injury, cold shooting and James Harden‘s inefficiency let the upset slip through its fingers. This offseason, the Rockets will try to run things back, but need to make some changes on the margins.
The Rockets have been interested in Anthony for years, linked to him in free agency four years ago and via trade last offseason. With the loss of Trevor Ariza to the Phoenix Suns, the Rockets will need another forward for their rotation, and Anthony would be a talented replacement, if not offering the same defensive strengths.
If Anthony is serious about contending, then the Rockets are his best option. With two elite players in James Harden and Chris Paul the Rockets have the backbone of another conference finals team, and how they fill out their roster could determine whether a trip to the NBA Finals could be in order.
Short of signing with the Warriors, this will be Anthony’s best shot at a title, or the very least a conference crown, of which he has neither. He could join Chris Paul, another Banana Boat buddy, in seeking their first trips to the NBA Finals. Houston may also allow him to start, or could rotate him in-and-out of the starting lineup based on opponent.
Joining Paul in Houston is his best shot at a title, and the two sides have mutual interest. That combination is the second-best option for Anthony in the league, behind just one other Banana Boat team-up.