Carmelo Anthony Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Carmelo Anthony Won’t Opt Out Of Contract

June 22nd, 2018 at 4:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Carmelo Anthony won’t exercise the early termination option on his contract before Saturday’s deadline, reports Marc Stein of The New York Times. As Stein writes, that means Anthony is opting into the final year of his contract with the Thunder, which will put him in line for a salary of $27,928,140 in 2018/19.

Despite any lingering issues he has with the club over his role last season, Anthony wasn’t going to leave that much money on the table. Oklahoma City and Anthony can pursue a buyout, which would allow the veteran forward to try to find another team where he could get more playing time and touches. Anthony said after Oklahoma City was eliminated from the playoffs that would not accept a limited role again, Stein notes.

Anthony averaged 16.2 PPG and 1.3 APG in 32.1 MPG during the regular season, all career lows. His production dipped to 11.8 PPG and 0.3 APG in the Thunder’s six playoff games and he was often off the floor during crunch time.

The Thunder could, of course, try to trade him but moving Anthony’s salary would be nearly impossible.

Anthony’s decision to decline the ETO has major implications in regard to the team’s luxury-tax situation as it seeks to re-sign Paul George. The Thunder’s tax bill could approach $80MM if George were re-signed to a max contract with a first-year salary of $30.3MM, as Stein points out.

The Thunder general manager Sam Presti told the media after Thursday’s draft that the club has been talking with Anthony’s representatives.

Northwest Rumors: Thunder, Blazers, Wolves, Nuggets

June 22nd, 2018 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

With his free agency just over a week away, the Thunder are keeping the lines of communication open with Paul George, general manager Sam Presti said on Thursday night, per Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman.

“Paul and his representation, we built a relationship built on transparency, trust and collaboration,” Presti said. “I’m happy to say that that’s continued during the period of time that the season ended to now, which I think speaks a great deal about Paul George and just who he is as a guy. It’s just how he operates. Things don’t change.”

Meanwhile, Presti confirmed that the Thunder have also been having conversations with Carmelo Anthony‘s representatives in recent weeks. Although it’s viewed as a virtual lock that Anthony will opt into the final year of his contract, Presti wasn’t willing to make any assumptions on Thursday, as Erik Horne of The Oklahoman writes.

“I can’t speak to necessarily what he’s gonna to do with respect to the early termination option, but we have been in touch with him and tried to provide him with as much information as we can so he can make the most informed decision possible,” Presti said. “But it’s pretty well-documented, we have a lot of balls in the air, and it’s still June. It’s not even July. So, we’ll have to see what it is that he chooses to do, and we’ll continue to have conversations from there.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Following Thursday’s draft, Trail Blazers president of basketball operations Neil Olshey said the club made an effort to use its No. 24 pick and trade exception to land an “impact rotation guy,” but couldn’t find a suitable deal (Twitter link via Joe Freeman of The Oregonian). “(This draft) wasn’t about existing players,” Olshey said, referring to the fact that no veterans were traded on Thursday. “It was about the draft.”
The Timberwolves were active on the phones throughout the draft considering potential trades, but ultimately decided that keeping the 20th and 48th picks was their best option, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Minnesota had spoken to the Pacers, Trail Blazers, and Hawks about moving down from No. 20, but with a run on wings happening, didn’t want to risk losing out on a player like Okogie, Krawczynski notes.
Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said the club had “countless” conversations about trading up in the draft, but was thrilled that Michael Porter Jr. fell to No. 14. Connelly added that the Nuggets will be cautious with Porter and won’t play him until the team is confident that he’s “perfectly healthy” (Twitter links via Gina Mizell of The Denver Post).

Northwest Notes: Anthony, Leonard, McCollum, Favors

May 12th, 2018 at 10:57am CST by marksuleymanov

After a disappointing first season with the Thunder, Carmelo Anthony‘s future with the organization is unclear. He wields a $28MM option he figures to utilize, which would extend his Thunder tenure for one more season. However, Oklahoma City could pursue some sort of buyout with Anthony, which may put his NBA future in doubt.

Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman writes that one option for Anthony — if he leaves the Thunder this summer — is a career in China. The 33-year-old has already said he will not accept a bench role next season and it may be hard for him to secure a job with consistent playing time and scoring opportunities. Carlson writes that Anthony, if he goes to China, would automatically become the best player on any team he joins and be the focal point.

Carlson specifically points out the success that Stephon Marbury enjoyed in the China Basketball Association, becoming a sports legend in the country who was honored with a statue. Despite his struggles, Anthony still played in more games (78) than he has since the 2005/06 season while averaging 16.2 PPG. In contrast, Marbury averaged 3.8 PPG in his final NBA season. Nonetheless, if Anthony’s Thunder career is over, he will have options.

Check out more Northwest Division notes:

If the Trail Blazers can enter the hypothetical Kawhi Leonard sweepstakes, the team should offer C.J. McCollum in trade talks for the Spurs superstar, John Canzano of The Oregonian opines.
During an appearance on ESPN’s First Take this week, McCollum discussed the possibility of either him or teammate Damian Lillard being traded by the Trail Blazers this summer, per Sean Meagher of The Oregonian. “If you trade one of us, it’s lateral movement,” McCollum said.
Jazz big man Derrick Favors spoke about his time in Utah in the past tense while cleaning out his locker this week but he wasn’t necessarily shutting the door on a return this summer, Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News writes. Favors will have plenty of suitors in free agency and he is ready for the experience. “We’ll see how it goes,” he said. “There will be a lot of things to think about this summer, but I can wait for that.”

Free Agent Stock Watch 2018: Oklahoma City Thunder

May 8th, 2018 at 7:59pm CST by Austin Kent

The Thunder are in a unique position with a unique superstar and this upcoming summer will play a major role in how that ultimately plays out. Unsurprisingly, the team’s short-term fate depends on where Paul George signs and that could very well depend on where LeBron James signs.

With a committed George, the Thunder boast one of the league’s most intriguing cores and a front office with a rich history of landing major assets. Without him, it’s not so much of a stretch to picture the club back in the lottery for the first time since 2015.

Carmelo Anthony, PF, 34 (Down) – Signed to a five-year, $124MM deal in 2014
In less than a year, Anthony went from being a coveted veteran star to a radioactive presence with an albatross contract. The 33-year-old has an early termination option for 2018/19 but isn’t about to wave goodbye to the $28MM season he’s been eyeing up since he signed for it back in 2014. Anthony will be back in Oklahoma City next season and has already said that he has no desire to come off the bench. Godspeed, Thunder fans.

Corey Brewer, SG, 32 (Up) – Signed to a one-year deal in 2018
The Thunder added Brewer down the stretch as a replacement for the injured Andre Roberson. The perimeter defender not only subbed in admirably for Roberson, but carved out a role in the team’s rotation heading forward should he decide to return. Brewer is coming off of a comfortable $24MM deal signed in 2015, so don’t expect him to chase the biggest offer he can find if it looks like the Thunder will be able to remain competitive. That said, the club will need to offer more than the peanuts it got him for at the tail end of 2017/18.

Nick Collison, PF, 37 (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $2MM deal in 2017
For the past 15 years, Collison has been a part of the Thunder franchise and there’s always seemed to be a mutual respect between he and the organization. While his days as a key rotation piece are in the rearview mirror, there’s no denying that his presence in the locker room has had a positive impact on the team. The big man hasn’t made a public decision regarding retirement at this point but it may be more likely than not. If Collison does decide to play in 2018/19, expect it to be announced well into free agency after the team’s other dominoes have fallen.

Raymond Felton, PG, 34 (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $2MM deal in 2017
Few would argue that there will be a long list of teams fighting to sign Felton this summer but it’s hard to consider his lone season in Oklahoma City anything less than a success. Felton proved that he can be an effective, cheap bit player for the Thunder, as evidenced by the 6.9 points and 2.5 assists per game he posted in just 16.6 minutes of action. Had he not performed as well as he did, there’s no guarantee he’d even land another full-time gig.

Paul George, SF, 28 (Up) – Signed to a five-year, $92MM deal in 2014
While his first season in Oklahoma City could have gone better from a team perspective, George did little to obfuscate his case for a max contract. It seems inevitable that the star will head west to the Lakers but let’s take the guy at his word if he says he’s at least interested in the notion of returning to the Thunder. The franchise would be well equipped for the next half decade if they could lock George in with Westbrook and Steven Adams, but will that be enough to sway the California native? Wherever he goes, he figures to be earning the max allowable.

Jerami Grant, PF, 24 (Up) – Signed to a four-year, $4MM deal in 2014
Grant was a solid and intriguing depth piece for the Thunder this season, but may be one of the players most impacted by the team’s tight finances. The former second-round pick will see interest from other teams this summer and while OKC could go over the cap to retain him, doing so would have serious luxury tax implications.

Josh Huestis, PF, 26 (Down) – Signed to a three-year, $4MM deal in 2015
Despite world-class athleticism, Huestis hasn’t firmly established himself with the Thunder in three seasons. That being said, he saw consistent action for OKC in 2017/18 in limited minutes. Given that the team will have so much of its payroll tied up in a handful of players in 2018/19 and beyond, the unrestricted free agent could have some appeal as a dirt-cheap option already familiar with the system.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Northwest Notes: Anthony, Presti, Crawford, Snyder

May 5th, 2018 at 11:03am CST by marksuleymanov

Carmelo Anthony joined the Thunder last September as both a star in decline and a valuable piece for a team hoping to contend for a championship. A disappointing regular season and early postseason exit later, Anthony’s future in Oklahoma City is murky and he lacks self-awareness of his own decline, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman writes.

“I think everybody knows that I’ve sacrificed kind of damned near everything … sacrificed my game for the sake of the team and was willing to sacrifice anything and everything in order for this situation to work out,” Anthony said at his end of season media session. “So it’s something I really have to think about, if I really want to … finish out my career as this type of player, knowing that I have so much left in the tank and I bring so much to the game of basketball.”

The reality is, Anthony shot a career-worst 40.4% from the field, averaged below 20.0 PPG for the first time in his career, and was a virtual non-factor in the playoffs. Anthony also vocalized that he will not take a bench role next season. With declining skills paired with the belief he is still elite, Anthony could be suiting up for a new team next season if he agrees to a buyout or declines his $28MM option.

Check out more Northwest Division notes below:

In a separate column, Tramel writes about Anthony’s time with the Thunder, suggesting that – despite a few notable contributions – it’s likely over for him in Oklahoma City.
Erik Horne of The Oklahoman examined four pressing questions that Thunder general manager Sam Presti will have to address this offseason. Among those is Anthony’s future, Billy Donovan‘s coaching, Paul George‘s future in Oklahoma City, and how much better Russell Westbrook can be.
Brad Rock of The Deseret News writes that Jazz coach Quin Snyder is further cementing his case as one of the NBA’s smartest coaches as Utah spars with the Rockets in the second round of the playoffs.
Michael Rand of the Star Tribune writes that Jamal Crawford opting out of his deal with the Timberwolves was likely the best-case scenario for both sides. The 38-year-old, Rand writes, is neither an efficient player or a defensively strong one. Conversely, Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune ponders whether Crawford opting out signals trouble for Minnesota’s efforts to attract solid bench options.
While the Timberwolves ended a 13-year postseason drought this season, things were not all that great behind the scenes, per Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Dan Feldman of NBC Sports). Minnesota reached the playoffs, has several star players, and revenue is up from previous seasons but that hasn’t helped matters. “There should be a ton to celebrate, right? Just on the surface. You look at those things. But I’m telling you, there is so much angst, and I’m telling you, disconnect behind the scenes,” Wolfson said.
Sean Deveney of Sporting News previewed the Timberwolves‘ offseason, which will include decisions on current players and possible free agents.

Presti: Billy Donovan Will Return For Thunder

May 2nd, 2018 at 12:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Thunder head coach Billy Donovan will continue coaching the team next season, general manager Sam Presti confirmed today to reporters, including Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). According to Dawson (Twitter link), Presti expressed enthusiasm about the idea of Donovan returning to coach a similar core of players in 2018/19.

“I think the biggest opportunity for him is in the continuity.” Presti said of Donovan. “Continuity is his best friend going forward.”

Presti addressed a few other topics during his session with reporters, including how the Thunder might achieve that continuity, so let’s round up a few highlights…

Presti acknowledges that the Thunder are disappointed with the overall result of the 2017/18 season. “And we should be,” he added (Twitter link via Dawson).
Paul George was a “tremendous fit” for the Thunder, according to Presti, who said it feels like the standout forward has been with the team for more than year (Twitter link via Dawson). Presti added that he feels good about OKC’s relationship with George and has been “really encouraged” by the conversations the club has had with him (Twitter links via Dawson).
Presti praised Carmelo Anthony‘s willingness to make sacrifices for the Thunder during the regular season, but said it will be up to Anthony whether that role is one he wants to continue in (Twitter link via Dawson). Carmelo is considered extremely likely to pick up his $28MM player option.
The Thunder would be “really excited” if they’re able to bring back unrestricted free agent Jerami Grant next season, according to Presti (Twitter link).
More from Presti on the Thunder’s roster outlook for next season: “The opportunity to potentially have [Russell] Westbrook, Paul George and Steven Adams, all three of those guys in their prime years, is extremely exciting for us” (Twitter link via Erik Horne of The Oklahoman).

Southeast Notes: Larranaga, Anthony, Whiteside, Weltman

April 30th, 2018 at 6:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga is on the Hawks’ radar in their search for a head coach, Sam Amico of Amico Hoops reports. Larranaga has been an assistant with the Celtics since 2012 after being a head coach in the G League. The son of college coach Jim Larranaga has also coached in Ireland. The younger Larranaga is also on the long list of candidates for the Knicks’ coaching vacancy, Amico adds.

In other developments around the Southeast Division:

Trading for disgruntled Thunder forward Carmelo Anthony wouldn’t make any sense for the Heat, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel argues. Miami already has a better defensive power forward in James Johnson and Anthony has already indicated he doesn’t want to come off the bench, Winderman continues. Anthony’s expiring contract wouldn’t give the Heat notable cap relief in 2019 because of the salary commitments they already have, Winderman adds.
Those salary commitments are also why it’s unlikely the Heat will deal Hassan Whiteside for an expiring contract or two, Winderman writes in a separate blog. In essence, they’d simply be giving away their center for nothing if they chose that route, Winderman continues. Whiteside has two years and $52.5MM remaining on his $98MM deal. The Bucks, Trail Blazers and Mavericks are among the potential landing spots for Whiteside if a trade goes through, according to Bryan Kalbrosky of Hoops Hype.
Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman will have final say in the head coaching hire, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports. Orlando is searching for a coach after firing Frank Vogel. “If you’re asking do I have autonomy to do this job, I can tell you simply that I would not have come here had I not,” Weltman told Robbins.
The Hornets’ coaching search could get complicated if they chose to pursue former Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer notes. Reuniting Budenholzer with center Dwight Howard wouldn’t be a good idea, given how their relationship deteriorated in Atlanta, Bonnell adds.

Thunder Rumors: Westbrook, Anthony, Donovan, George

April 30th, 2018 at 5:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Thunder need to change their offensive system if they’re ever going to get deep in the playoffs again, Zach Lowe of ESPN argues in a detailed look at the team’s scheme over the years. Their overreliance on Russell Westbrook proved to be their downfall once again in the series against the Jazz. Westbrook used up 38% of their possessions in the series, a higher rate than even LeBron James had for the Cavaliers in the first round, Lowe notes. The Thunder need their other star players to have more coherent roles as well as build a better bench, so that they can hold their own when Westbrook rests. Lowe adds.

In other Thunder-related news and musings:

Trading Carmelo Anthony is the least likely outcome this offseason as the team tries to figure out what to do with the aging and disgruntled forward, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman writes. Not only would it be tough to trade his contract if he picks up his $27.9MM option, he also has a no-trade clause, Horne notes. A buyout or utilizing the stretch provision are more viable options, or the team could simply retain him and hope for better results, Horne adds.
Making a decision whether to retain coach Billy Donovan ranks as the biggest issue immediately confronting the team, Sean Deveney of the Sporting News opines. Trying to hold onto impending free agent Paul George and figuring out a way to shed Anthony are two of the other major issues hanging over their head, Deveney continues. The recovery of defensive ace Andre Roberson from a knee injury is another concern, Deveney adds.
Donovan will probably keep his job but it could be even more difficult next season, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman argues. While the players generally respect and like Donovan, they don’t always follow his orders, Tramel continues Things could get even dicier next season if George doesn’t re-sign.However, Donovan still has two years and $12MM left on his contract, and that should work in his favor, Tramel adds.
George is quite aware how important he is to the organization and its future, Horne writes in a separate piece. George has been impressed with the franchise during his first season in Oklahoma City but there’s no telling if he’ll return. “We’ve had the high moments where we’ve seen what we can be,” George told Horne and other media members. “That’s the consistency part of just getting an identity as a group. I think we’re close. I think we’re close to accomplishing something bigger here.”

Thunder Notes: Anthony, George, Collison, Donovan

April 28th, 2018 at 5:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Scratch the idea of Carmelo Anthony accepting a reserve role if he decides to return to the Thunder next season. The veteran forward emphatically rejected the idea during today’s exit interviews, tweets ESPN’s Royce Young.

“I’m not sacrificing no bench role,” Anthony responded when asked about the possibility. “So that’s out of the question.”

Anthony has a player option for next season worth nearly $28MM that he is considered likely to exercise because he’ll have difficulty getting that amount in free agency. After averaging a career-low 32.1 minutes in his first season in Oklahoma City and sitting for extended stretches in the playoffs, there was speculation that he might be might be transitioned into a bench role for 2018/19, but today’s comments make it clear he wouldn’t be a willing participant.

There’s more from the Thunder’s exit interviews:

Paul George addressed his impending free agency again today, saying that playing at home in Los Angeles won’t be the “only option” when he hits the open market (Twitter link). George is considered a lock to opt out of his $20.7MM salary for next season and has long been rumored to have a desire to join the Lakers. George had an All-Star season during his first year in OKC, but his scoring, rebounding and shooting percentage from the floor all declined from last season with the Pacers.
Veteran big man Nick Collison, who has been with the franchise for his entire 14-year career, said, “I think I’ve decided,” when asked about his NBA future, relays Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). However, the 37-year-old added, “Today’s not the time to make any of those decisions final.”
Head coach Billy Donovan provided a brief answer when asked if he expects to be back with the team next season (Twitter link). “Let me say I’m excited about the organization,” he replied. “I love working with [GM] Sam [Presti], the people that are here. I haven’t given any thought to that. My total focus is how do we get better and improve.” Donovan still has two seasons remaining on the five-year contract he signed when he was hired in 2015, but the Thunder have suffered first-round playoff eliminations in the past two seasons.
Free agent guard Raymond Felton, who played for the veteran’s minimum this season, said he wants to return to the Thunder (Twitter link). “I don’t know what my future may hold,” the 33-year-old told reporters. “I would love to be back.”

Northwest Notes: Thibodeau, Rose, Anthony, Lyles

April 14th, 2018 at 9:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves broke their 14-year playoff drought because coach/executive Tom Thibodeau was willing to trade away the future to get better now, writes Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune. Thibodeau signaled a new direction for the franchise last June when he shipped Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the seventh pick in the draft to Chicago in exchange for Jimmy Butler. He followed that up by signing veteran free agents Taj Gibson, Jeff Teague, Jamal Crawford, Aaron Brooks and more recently, Derrick Rose.

“Look, when you’re trying to erase 14 years of losing, you have to bring in some people who have won before,” Thibodeau explained. “That was a big factor in that. These guys have won in the playoffs, and I knew the hole we had to get out of. When you looked at the number, the numbers said we had to do a lot of improving and I think we’ve done that.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Rose’s overlooked defensive abilities could be important in the playoff matchup with Houston, Zgoda notes in a separate story. Defense was one of the areas Thibodeau considered when he decided to sign the former MVP in March. Rose, who had a frustrating start to the season in Cleveland before being acquired and then waived by Utah, is happy with where he has landed. “Going through free agency, it’s all about being strategic,” Rose said. “I wanted to go to a contender. I wanted to go somewhere where I was familiar with the coach, and being here was the perfect situation.”
Carmelo Anthony is preparing for his first playoff appearance in five years, but he’s headed there in a much different role, writes Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman. Anthony was an MVP candidate when the Knicks last reached the postseason in 2013. Now he’s a complementary player after an offseason trade to the Thunder. “My approach is not any different,” he said. “My situation is different. My team is different.”
Third-year forward Trey Lyles is focused on earning more playing time after his first full season in Denver. In a video posted on the Nuggets‘ website, Lyles laments his lack of minutes late in the season and vows to work on every part of his game this summer. “I’m not perfect at anything,” he said. “I really want to improve in ways that makes coach keep me on the floor.”