Carmelo Anthony signing with the Houston Rockets wasn’t a secret. It was something we knew is about to happen for weeks, but the official confirmation came on Monday. Anthony flew to Houston, passed his medical and officially inked a one-year, $2.4 million contract. The team confirmed the news on their social media.
Melo making it official! 🖊🚀
📸 » @dmorey pic.twitter.com/PnFPfc61wZ
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) August 13, 2018
Reportedly, Carmelo Anthony will have a chance to earn a starting spot in the training camp, but it’s still up to Rockets’ coach Mike D’Antoni to determine where Melo could help the team the most. We will see whether Anthony can accept a possible secondary role, something he was struggling with during his time as part of Oklahoma City Thunder.
Now, if you think $2.4 million is too low of a number for a player of Melo’s caliber, don’t worry. After Oklahoma City Thunder traded him to Atlanta Hawks, the 34-year-old was immediately waived while receiving a hefty paycheck. Hawks paid $25.4 million of his 2018-19 salary from the previous contract, and he also accepted a $2.4 million contract buyout.
After an unsuccessful season with OKC, it was evident that Carmelo Anthony doesn’t fit into the Thunder’s future, primarily because of his massive contract. Thunder was facing with close to $300 million parole and taxes, something they couldn’t afford. This is why the team’s general manager Sam Presti began looking for trade options while giving the 10-times All-Star permission to negotiate with other teams.
Melo met with Houston Rockets and Miami Heat during the summer league in Las Vegas but eventually decided to sign with a team that can give him a chance to win his first NBA title.
