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The pros and cons of Carmelo Anthony joining the Miami Heat

BySimon Smith|
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 16: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Carmelo Anthony #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on December 16, 2017 in New York City. The Knicks defeated the Thunder 111-96. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 16: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Carmelo Anthony #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on December 16, 2017 in New York City. The Knicks defeated the Thunder 111-96. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
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(Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

With his breakup with the Oklahoma City Thunder seemingly inevitable, here are the pros and cons of Carmelo Anthony potentially joining the Miami Heat.

According to recent reports, it’s only a matter of time before Carmelo Anthony and the Oklahoma City Thunder end their one-year relationship.

After landing in OKC via trade last summer, the Thunder envisioned that fielding an elite trio of Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Anthony would be sufficient enough for them to challenge the leaders in the Western Conference. However, this was not the case as the Thunder lost to the Utah Jazz in six games in the opening round of the postseason.

For Anthony, this was clearly the most challenging and difficult season of his career. A 10-time All-Star, Anthony struggled in his role as the third option on offense. In 78 games, Anthony averaged 16.2 points in 32.1 minutes per game while shooting at a 40.4 percent clip from the field. All of those numbers represented a career-lows.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski and Royce Young of ESPN, parting ways with Anthony, most likely via the stretch provision, would save the Thunder over $100 million in payroll and tax costs next season. With Anthony owed $27.9 million after opting into the final year of his contract, the Thunder seemingly had little option other than to waive Anthony barring an unlikely last-minute trade.

Recently, Anthony met with both the Miami Heat and the Houston Rockets in Las Vegas in anticipation of his official separation from the Thunder. While the Rockets will be selling the notion of joining a legitimate title contender, the Heat will be strong in emphasizing that Anthony would be the centerpiece of the offense, and that their proven ability to significantly improve the conditioning levels on newly arriving players will bring out the best in the 34-year-old.

So with an enormous decision facing Anthony, here’s a rundown of some of the pros and cons that would accompany the 15-year veteran if he were to arrive in Miami.

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