Carmelo Anthony Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Chris Paul Talks Carmelo Anthony Joining Rockets

August 26th, 2018 at 4:53pm CST by marksuleymanov

In what has been an eventful offseason for Carmelo Anthony, the former Knicks star ended up signing a one-year with the Rockets. After a disappointing year with the Thunder, Anthony joins a Rockets team that came within one game of reaching the NBA Finals.

For Rockets point guard and Anthony’s close friend, Chris Paul, the signing is a good thing. Paul spoke to reporters – including Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston – about the signing and expressed optimism for both sides.

“Melo, I’m excited about it,” Paul said. “That’s my brother. I’m not only happy for our team, but I’m happy for him. When you know a guy that well you’re able to push each other and motivate each other and that we both have a common goal, wanting to win a championship.”

In his first and only season with Oklahoma City, Anthony averaged 16.2 PPG and 5.8 RPG with a shooting line of .404/.357/.767. He never developed the chemistry that he and the Thunder hoped with Russell Westbrook and Paul George — and later complained of his role with OKC.

While Anthony’s role in Houston is unclear — with a bench role a possibility — his new teammates have spoken highly of the 10-time All-Star. Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player James Harden has given his approval for Anthony joining Houston to chase an NBA title.

And-Ones: Carmelo, Bazley, Seattle, Rookies

August 16th, 2018 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Carmelo Anthony, the newest member of the Rockets, published a letter earlier this week thanking his old team, along with the Thunder fans. As Erik Horne of The Oklahoman details, Anthony said that he wanted to bring a championship to OKC and was “sorry it didn’t work out” while he was there. However, despite only being with the Thunder for one year, Carmelo said he’ll never forget the experience and the support he received from the “incredible” fans in OKC.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Within an Insider article on his observations from the Nike Basketball Academy in Los Angeles, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony notes that there’s speculation among NBA scouts that prospect Darius Bazley may end up not playing in the G League, as was originally planned. Bagley didn’t look great at the event, so if he feels he’s not ready for the G League, he could take the Mitchell Robinson route and forgo competitive basketball for 2018/19, writes Givony.
Seattle is in “a class by itself” in terms of cities that are candidates for NBA expansion, Marc Stein of the New York Times writes in his latest newsletter. In Stein’s view, there are a handful of cities that could be options to join Seattle if the NBA decides it wants to expand to 32 teams at some point, but none of those cities are on Seattle’s level.
A handful of top NBA rookies spoke to ESPN about which fellow rookie they’re most looking forward to playing, their biggest purchase since signing their rookie contract, and – most interestingly – their pick for Rookie of the Year. ESPN’s Chris Forsberg has the details.
The NBA announced this week that the NBA 2K eLeague will introduce four expansion teams for the 2019 season, with the Hawks, Nets, Lakers, and Timberwolves adding affiliates.

And-Ones: 2019 FAs, MVP Odds, Oldest Vets

August 15th, 2018 at 7:38pm CST by clarkcrum

An ESPN panel was asked where they think some of the top-projected free agents of 2019 might end up next summer. The results were interesting, with the panel making a prediction for five players: Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson.

As we explored earlier this summer, both Irving and Butler have reportedly expressed interested in playing together, and the panel obviously took that into consideration, predicting both players to suit up for the Knicks next season. However, the Celtics were a close second for Irving.

Interestingly, the Lakers were the second-highest voted selection for both Butler and Thompson, and the first-place selection for Leonard by a wide-margin. Meanwhile, both Thompson and Durant are projected to return to the Warriors.

We have more from around the league:

Bovada has come out with their latest odds for next season’s MVP award, with LeBron James the favorite to win the award at 10/3. Anthony Davis is at 4/1, with Giannis Antetokounmpo at 4.5/1 and last season’s winner James Harden at 5.5/1.
Only three players who began their career before the turn of the century remain playing today. Vince Carter and Dirk Nowitzki, who debuted in February, 1999 during the lockout-shortened season of 1998/99; and Jason Terry, who debuted later that calendar year during the 1999/00 season.
Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders has created a list of players who he feels are prime candidates for a bounce-back season during 2018/19. The list includes Leonard, Markelle Fultz, Jabari Parker, Isaiah Thomas, Carmelo Anthony, and Danilo Gallinari.

Western Notes: Kuzma, Anthony, Thunder, Jazz

August 15th, 2018 at 10:04am CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma doesn’t think his team will have to wait a year to contend, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes. Kuzma believes the additions of LeBron James and other big-name free agents makes them instant contenders. “We think that a lot of people are underestimating us,” he told Youngmisuk. Kuzma added that many teams need to work on their chemistry but he’s confident the team’s younger players will blend well with the veteran additions. “I don’t know why people kind of just rule us out because we are young,” he said. “We are hungry. We are competitive. Anybody that watched us play last year, we were in a lot of games.”

We have more from around the Western Conference:

Rockets forward Nene Hilario believes Carmelo Anthony is still one of the elite players in the league, Mark Berman of KRIV tweets. “When he commits to do the right thing and they use his talent, man get out of the way. Simple as that. For me, he’s a top-10 player in the league,” Hilario told Berman. Anthony officially signed with Houston earlier this week.
The Thunder catch a little bit of a scheduling break, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman points out. Each team plays four conference foes three times while facing every other conference team four times. The Thunder only have to play the two-time defending champion Warriors three times, with the Lakers, Spurs and Grizzlies also in that group. The Grizzlies are the only projected non-playoff contender among that quartet.
The Jazz franchise has become a haven for foreign-born players and coaches, Brad Rock of the Deseret News notes. The current roster includes Rudy Gobert, Dante Exum, Joe Ingles, Ricky Rubio, Raul Neto, Naz Mitrou-Long and Thabo Sefolosha and the team also recently hired the league’s first Greek assistant coach.

D’Antoni Unsure Of Rotation With Carmelo In Mix

August 13th, 2018 at 9:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni isn’t sure how his rotation will look with the addition of Carmelo Anthony, he acknowledged to Sam Amick of USA Today. Anthony officially signed with Houston on Monday but D’Antoni said it’s too simplistic to think he’ll just plug Anthony into Trevor Ariza‘s former spot in the starting lineup.

“I don’t know, and that’s something that we’ll have to work out. All I know is that we’ll try different combos — preseason, early season, and the good thing is that with analytics and with gut feelings and coaches and players, we’ll figure out what is the best way to play.”

There’s more from Amick’s Q&A with D’Antoni:

Anthony and D’Antoni had some differences in New York when D’Antoni coached the Knicks. D’Antoni isn’t worried about a repeat in Houston. “In New York, when they gave away half the team [to Denver in the February 2011 trade] and everybody expected us to win a championship, it really wasn’t realistic. It put a lot of pressure on everybody, and it kind of burst the pipes. I think this is totally different.”
D’Antoni feels confident that Anthony will fit in with the team’s other two stars, reigning Most Valuable Player James Harden and Chris Paul. D’Antoni noted that many people thought Harden and Paul couldn’t mesh when Paul was acquired last summer. “It’s like having Chris and James together. It was relatively non-eventful …and I think it’ll be the same thing. … We’ve just got to make sure we don’t get too far away from taking threes and layups and foul shots.”
Continuing with that theme, D’Antoni said Houston is fighting fire with fire, trying to keep up with the star-laded Warriors. “Look at Golden State, how they had all those guys and you fit in [Kevin] Durant, I mean if you are committed to a certain style, and everybody is committed to the team, it works itself out.”

Rockets Sign Carmelo Anthony

August 13th, 2018 at 12:21pm CST by clarkcrum

AUGUST 13, 12:21pm: Rockets general manager Daryl Morey has published a tweet welcoming Anthony to Houston, signaling that the signing is now official.

AUGUST 13, 8:21am: Anthony has traveled to Houston and is completing his physical on Monday, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who tweets that the veteran forward should finally make his deal with the Rockets official today.

AUGUST 7, 4:17pm: Carmelo Anthony has verbally agreed to sign with the Rockets, league sources tell Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. Anthony already made his plans known a few weeks back, but he still needed to be officially traded and waived before he could make a final decision.

Anthony reportedly drew interest from the Heat in addition to the Rockets, but Houston has always been seen as the frontrunner ever since it became public knowledge that the working relationship between Anthony and the Thunder was beyond repair.

The 34-year-old forward, who has long made it known that he sees himself as a starter in the NBA, will presumably get the chance to show he’s right after Houston lost both Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute in free agency.

Anthony will reportedly sign a one-year, veteran’s minimum salary, leaving the Rockets with the remainder of their mid-level exception to use elsewhere.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

And-Ones: ROY Predictions, Offseason Rankings, NBAGL

August 6th, 2018 at 4:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mavericks guard Luka Doncic has the best chance to win the Rookie of the Year award, according to an ESPN panel. Doncic will fill up the stat sheet and might wind up with the ball more often than second-year guard Dennis Smith Jr., according to Mike Schmitz. Top overall pick Deandre Ayton ranks second on the poll, with Schmitz noting that the Suns big man likely to get more playing time than any other rookie. Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr., Cavaliers point guard Collin Sexton and Bulls center Wendell Carter Jr. round out the top five.

We have more from around the league:

Retaining Paul George in free agency and dumping Carmelo Anthony‘s contract while receiving projected sixth man Dennis Schroder in return earned the Thunder the top spot on NBA.com’s David Aldridge’s offseason rankings. The rankings are based upon what teams have done during the offseason. The Lakers ranked No. 2 by virtue of signing LeBron James and handing out one-year contracts to other players, thus allowing them to be a force again in next year’s free agent market. The Nuggets gained the No. 3 spot by locking up Nikola Jokic and making trades that cleared roster spots and eased their luxury-tax situation.
Forwards DJ Hogg (Texas A&M) and Malik Pope (San Diego State) and swingman BJ Johnson (LaSalle) are among the top 10 prospects at the G League Invitational, according to Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype. The invitational takes place Sunday in Chicago and over a dozen of last year’s prospects received training camp invites afterward.
The Warriors’ over-under odds for wins next season is 62.5, according to Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook. The Celtics ranked second overall with a 57.5 over-under win total with the Rockets third at 54.5. The Hawks have the lowest projected win total at 23.5. The odds for each NBA team were passed along by ESPN’s Ben Fawkes.

Western Notes: Butler, Lillard, Anthony

July 31st, 2018 at 8:35pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Timberwolves have given off the impression that they won’t trade Jimmy Butler but Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders speculates that a rocky start to the season could make the franchise reconsider its position.

The Western Conference is as competitive as ever and Minnesota is no lock to be a playoff team. Should the Wolves slide in the standings, Butler’s frustration with his teammates could grow and with only one season remaining on his deal, there won’t be much time to mend the relationship.

The front office has tried to get Butler to sign an extension with no success. However, it is worth noting that it’s in the 28-year-old’s best interest to wait and sign a new deal in the offseason rather than inking an extension now since he’s eligible for a larger starting salary this summer.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

The Trail Blazers have no clear path to improve enough in order to compete with the Warriors for the Western Conference crown and Kyler (in the same piece) wonders whether it will force Portland to consider dealing Damian Lillard. Kyler adds that the point guard is “loyal to a fault,” meaning a lack of success for the franchise won’t result in him demanding a trade.
The Rockets‘ loss of Trevor Ariza and addition of Carmelo Anthony has critics yet again doubting the team. Coach Mike D’Antoni isn’t worried about the skeptics, as Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle relays. “It’s our job to prove them wrong,” D’Antoni said. “And we did it for two years now.”
Solomon (in the same piece) notes how many around the league doubted the Chris Paul–James Harden pairing, believing that with only one ball, the two players couldn’t possibly flourish. The Rockets ended last season with a record of 44-4 in games in which both players started and Solomon cautions against writing off the Anthony acquisition without seeing him alongside the team’s stars.

Stein’s Latest: Sixers, Warriors, Rockets, Nets

July 31st, 2018 at 6:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers’ much-anticipated offseason fell far short of expectations, Marc Stein of the New York Times opines in his latest newsletter (Sign-up link).

Philadelphia didn’t come close to signing either LeBron James or Paul George in the free agent market and couldn’t swing a deal with the Spurs for Kawhi Leonard, Stein continues. With Leonard landing in Toronto, the Sixers no longer have a clear path to the conference finals. They’re also still looking for a GM and the most consequential moves they made were re-signing J.J. Redick and dealing for Wilson Chandler, Stein adds.

We have more of Stein’s insights:

The Warriors were the biggest winners in the offseason. They not only stunned the NBA world by signing DeMarcus Cousins but they also made some underrated moves, such as locking up coach Steve Kerr to a long-term contract and signing serviceable forward Jonas Jerebko.
The Rockets’ offseason has been unfairly criticized. Re-signing Clint Capela to a team-friendly contract was a major coup and they should extract more production out of Carmelo Anthony than any other team in the league could.
The Nets will be active on the free agent market next summer but they won’t spend money simply because they’ll have a lot of cap space. Kyrie Irving will be a target if he declines his player option and becomes a free agent.

Hawks Waive Carmelo Anthony

July 30th, 2018 at 10:05am CST by Luke Adams

10:05am: The Hawks have officially waived Anthony, per a team press release.

9:24am: Anthony has finalized a buyout deal with the Hawks, agreeing to give back the equivalent of the veteran’s minimum salary, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The veteran forward will make that money back when he officially signs with the Rockets, while Atlanta opens up a small slice of cap room as a result of the agreement.

The Hawks should have about $2.9MM in space, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks, though it remains to be seen how the team plans to use it, with agreements for Len, Carter, and Hamilton still to be finalized.

8:05am: Now that all the physicals related to last week’s three-team trade are complete, the Hawks are expected to move forward with waiving Carmelo Anthony today, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports.

Assuming the transaction is finalized on Monday, Anthony will be on track to clear waivers on Wednesday. His $27.93MM cap charge makes a waiver claim by a surprise suitor essentially impossible, so he’ll become an unrestricted free agent. At that point, he reportedly intends to sign a one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Rockets.

Once Anthony is officially released, the Hawks will have 12 players on guaranteed contracts, but the team has lined up agreements with three players to fill its projected 15-man regular season roster. According to reports, Alex Len, Vince Carter, and Daniel Hamilton will all sign with Atlanta. The Hawks figure to finalize those moves soon now that the Anthony trade – which involved both the Thunder and Sixers – is formally complete.

There has been no indication that the Hawks will ask Anthony to give back any of his 2018/19 salary as part of a buyout. Still, the team will recover a small portion of that salary via setoff once the 10-time All-Star signs with Houston, as cap expert Albert Nahmad tweets.

Anthony’s cap hit for the Hawks will still exceed $27MM, and while the team could open up a huge chunk of cap room by stretching that figure over three seasons, that’s not expected to happen. Instead, Atlanta figures to simply keep Carmelo’s whole cap charge on its books for the 2018/19 salary, allowing the club to maximize its cap room in future seasons.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.