The Houston Rockets may have a second chance at Carmelo Anthony

After failing to land the All-Star forward this summer, the Houston Rockets may have a second chance to land Carmelo Anthony this season.

Saturday night might have been the lowest point in Carmelo Anthony‘s tenure with the Oklahoma City Thunder. In his first return to The Garden, Anthony scored 12 points as the Thunder dropped another embarrassing loss, losing 111-96 to the New York Knicks.

It’s clear that the combination of Melo, Russell Westbrook, and Paul George isn’t working. After 30 games, the Thunder are standing 15-15 and if the playoffs started today, it would be a first-round exit against the Golden State Warriors.

With the Thunder going through an identity crisis, there is a high possibility that Sam Presti may move one of his All-Stars before the trading deadline to save their season.

Although George may seem like a clear-cut favorite to use as trade bait, it would be hard for a team to take a risk on a player who has expressed his desired to play for his hometown on numerous occasions.

So with that said, the only other player Presti would be able to deal is Carmelo Anthony. And if there is one team who would love to take on the 10-time all-star, that team would be the Houston Rockets.

Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony are headed for divorce pic.twitter.com/6zKbsGPsWd

— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) December 14, 2017

The Rockets have looked great

After the Warriors got off to a “slow” start, the Rockets have looked like the team to beat in the Western Conference.

Behind their MVP leader in James Harden, the Rockets have possessed the best record in the league at 25-4, as well as riding a 14 game win streak heading into Wednesday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Even though they have looked like the best team in the league, there is always room for improvement, no matter how great the Rockets may appear to start the season.

With only a few players Daryl Morey is willing to trade, the Rockets should re-engage in their trade talks to acquire Melo. Say what you want about him at this stage in his career, the addition of Anthony to the Rockets could make Houston a very great team if he plays into the system.

For the moment, Anthony is averaging a career low in points per game (17.8) and in field goal percentage (40.4) to start his career within Thunder.

However, don’t be fooled. Playing alongside Westbrook is the only reason Anthony’s production has dipped so low. (Check Paul Geroge’s stats if you don’t believe me.)

Playing alongside Chris Paul and Harden, one can be sure to see a resurgence in Anthony’s game. Maybe more so than when he was playing for the Denver Nuggets.

Ryno would likely be included

If a deal were to finally get done, it is still uncertain which players would be included in the deal for Anthony. However, unlike the Knicks, the Thunder may be more open to acquiring Ryan Anderson in the exchange.

Remember, it was the Knicks’ front office unwillingness to take back Anderson’s contract in a deal which would have landed Melo in Houston. Here is what New York Daily New‘s Frank Isola had to say about the trade in mid-July.

This Knicks-Rockets trade could have been completed two weeks ago if the Knicks were willing to trade for Anderson’s contract. Instead, as ESPN reported on Wednesday, the Knicks and Rockets are trying to facilitate a deal by recruiting a third team and perhaps a fourth.

A source told the Daily News that the deal is on the “two-yard line,” but to push the trade to pay dirt, some team has to want Anderson. And that’s the tough part.

For the moment, it’s all speculation what’s going to happen, and the Thunder are committed to finding a way to make The OKC-3 work in Oklahoma.

Next: Houston Rockets: Player grades against the Utah Jazz

However, if they continue to fall short of expectations, one can assure a drastic change is over the horizon. And once Sam Presti makes Melo available again, the Rockets will do everything they can to finally bring Carmelo Anthony to the Bayou City.