Houston Rockets: Carmelo Anthony should be off the roster soon

The Houston Rockets have been looking to include one former star in a trade since the two sides didn’t quite work out earlier this season. Will he be off the roster soon?

Carmelo Anthony and the Houston Rockets were an interesting storyline going into the season. The mixture of the former star and the high-powered team had polarizing views among fans before the year.

Unfortunately, the doubters seemed to be right. The two sides didn’t work well together, with Melo’s defense being a pretty big issue along with his offense. He certainly had games where it looked like the pairing would work, but overall, it was a tough sell for the Rockets to keep him along.

The decision to separate was a good one for the Rockets. Melo was being misused and the team was struggling to win games. After his departure, the Rockets now find themselves very much in the race for a top seed in the tough Western Conference despite all the many injuries.

Melo, though, is still technically a part of the roster for the team. He wasn’t released as the Rockets are trying to find a suitor for him and get at least something in return as opposed to straight up cutting him. Something is expected to happen before the February 7 trade deadline about the future for Anthony, as said by Sam Amick of the Athletic:

Sources, w/ @joevardon, at @TheAthleticNBA: Carmelo Anthony’s NBA career might not be over after all, as he has options and is expected to pick before the Feb. 7 trade deadline https://t.co/hIJFsyLGRg

— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) January 18, 2019

Trade potential

The Los Angeles Lakers have been a prominent name, apparently, in regards to wanting to sign Carmelo Anthony and extend his career. The 10-time All-Star might look to join another one of his best friends, LeBron James, after failing here in Houston with his buddy Chris Paul.

The Rockets could potentially formulate a trade to LA for Melo. Awhile back, I wrote about some potential trades for the Lakers to acquire him, but many of those are void now. Instead, a more realistic option would be something like the Michael Carter-Williams trade to the Chicago Bulls.

The Rockets could trade him for virtually nothing besides cap relief and a heavily protected second-rounder. Melo’s value is at an all-time low, even more so after the time away from the NBA. If the Rockets want to trade him, they can package him with something more or just look to get away from his minimum contract.

If no one bites on a trade, Houston likely will just cut Melo and let him sign wherever he wants. I hope he finds somewhere he can contribute, but we’ll just have to see. If the February 7 trade deadline passes and he’s still technically a Rocket, that’s a pretty good indication of where things stand.