Carmelo Anthony’s destination already looks to be set.
The embattled star will find his new home in Houston, according to the New York Times’ Marc Stein, once he clears waivers.
There are a few steps to this process — the three-team trade that sends Anthony from the Thunder to the Hawks still has to be officially completed, then Anthony has to clear waivers — but all of that appears to be a formality. This move will reunite Anthony with Mike D’Antoni, with whom he clashed when the two were with the Knicks together.
The stakes are higher this time. The Rockets came within one game, and arguably a Chris Paul injury, of upsetting Golden State in the Western Conference finals last season. For the 34-year-old Anthony, this will be one of his last, best shots at a title.
“Melo’s a proven vet,” James Harden, the 2018 MVP, told reporters Friday, via the Houston Chronicle. “He just wants to win at this point, so it would be great for him to be on our team. The current roster we have now, we’ve got good guys back and we keep making forward progress.”
Exactly how far Anthony is willing to go to win — for example, coming off the bench — remains unclear. The answer to that question may decide whether the Rockets can hang with the Warriors again.