Hawks waive Melo, who will reportedly receive full $28M salary for 2018-19
The Atlanta Hawks have requested waivers on Carmelo Anthony, the team announced Monday.
The two sides agreed to a buyout of sorts earlier in which Anthony will relinquish just $2.4 million of his $27.9-million salary, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The figure equates to the veteran's minimum, which he's widely expected to sign for with the Houston Rockets.
Anthony now has 48 hours to clear waivers before he's able to join the Rockets.
The move keeps the remainder of Anthony's salary on Atlanta's books for the 2018-19 season, meaning they will likely exceed the cap once they officially sign recent additions Vince Carter and Alex Len.
The 34-year-old Anthony was acquired by the Hawks last week in a three-team trade that also netted Justin Anderson by sending Dennis Schroder to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Mike Muscala to the Philadelphia 76ers. (Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot went from Philly to OKC.)
Related: Melo says Thunder 'wasn't a good fit'
In an odd footnote, Anthony will join fellow former NBA All-Stars Pau Gasol and Rasheed Wallace in abbreviated tenures with the Hawks. Gasol was drafted by Atlanta in 2001 and immediately traded, while Wallace played one game for the Hawks in 2004 after being acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers, before being dealt to the Detroit Pistons.