Report: Rockets 'determined' to sign Carmelo once he's free of OKC
Forwards are dropping like flies on the NBA's best regular-season team in 2017-18.
Watching both Trevor Ariza (Phoenix Suns) and Luc Mbah a Moute (Los Angeles Clippers) walk in free agency, the Houston Rockets are reportedly "determined" to recoup their losses and sign Carmelo Anthony once he's free of the Oklahoma City Thunder, league sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Anthony remains under contract with the Thunder after opting into the $27.9 million he's owed in 2019. However, there's an understanding between both parties that the 34-year-old will be moving on via a trade, by being waived, or a buyout since such a move would save the organization approximately $100 million in luxury tax.
Houston has shown interest in Anthony both recently and last year, as it was one of the destinations he was willing to waive his no-trade clause for with the New York Knicks before eventually being shopped off to Oklahoma City.
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Anthony will never be confused for an elite defender, and isn't in the same stratosphere in that department as Ariza and Mbah a Moute. His offensive prowess has always been his claim to fame, although his past year with the Thunder really hurt his stock as both a scorer and shooter.
He averaged a career-worst 16.2 points on just 40.4 percent shooting from the field in 32.1 minutes per game. Anthony's player efficiency rating (12.7), true shooting percentage (50.3), and value over replacement player (minus-1.1) were also career lows.