After averaging career-lows in points, assists, steals and minutes last season in Oklahoma City, Carmelo Anthony opted in to his $27.9 million deal with the Thunder for next season.
Not surprisingly, the Thunder then started doing everything they could to find a way to jettison the 34-year-old scorer and his high-priced salary to another team.
In the Hawks, who were trying to get rid of bad contracts of their own, Oklahoma City found a trade partner. Anthony was sent to Atlanta, where he should be waived or bought out.
Anthony, who is reportedly hoping to sign with the Houston Rockets when he becomes a free agent, made it clear his issues in OKC were because of bad timing, not because of him.
“I think last year – and I haven’t talked about this before – everything was so rushed, going to the team for media day and the day before training camp,” Anthony told ESPN. “Them guys already had something in place, and then I come along in the 25th hour like, oh s–t, Melo just come on and join us. Like, you can figure it out since you’ve been around the game for a long time. That’s why it was so inconsistent. At times, I had to figure it out on my own rather than somebody over there or people over there helping me.”
Never known for being unselfish, those comments sound like typical ‘Melo.
If he doesn’t end up with the Rockets, it may make sense for Anthony to consider retirement.
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