Carmelo Anthony and the Oklahoma City Thunder are currently working together to fasten up their separation process this offseason. As of now, two NBA teams emerged as top destinations for the 10-time NBA All-Star once he becomes an unrestricted free agent – the Miami Heat and the Houston Rockets.
If Carmelo Anthony wants to win an NBA championship title, it is definitely a no-brainer for him to join the Rockets where he could team up with his close pal Chris Paul and James Harden. The Rockets are the only NBA team in the playoffs who gave the reigning NBA champions, Golden State Warriors, a tough competition. However, according to Amin Elhassan of ESPN (h/t Miami Herald ), the Heat are still the perfect destination for the veteran small forward.
“For many of these other mentioned destinations, I don’t think it would work out because he’s a guy who still lives in a world where he’s an elite scorer, where he’s a centerpiece, or at least he’s a guy that gets regular touches down the floor,” Elhassan said this week during a game at Thomas & Mack Center. “The one place that could actually offer him that and the accompanying, ‘hey work, rebound, defend and all the other dirty work’ is Miami. If he buys into the culture, he could [thrive there].”
More on the Rockets’ plans to pursue Carmelo Anthony once he becomes a free agent via @NYTSports –> https://t.co/pLhicTcq8V
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 6, 2018
Carmelo Anthony spent the most of his NBA career being the main guy on a team. That’s one of the major reasons why he struggled last season with the Oklahoma City Thunder where he only served as their third scoring option behind Russell Westbrook and Paul George. The huge drop in his statistics doesn’t mean that Anthony is already on the near end of his career but mainly because he’s not comfortable with his new role.
This is why joining the Heat over the Rockets makes more sense for Anthony. In Miami, Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra could make him the main option on the offensive end of the floor. It will definitely help him bring back his former game and prove that he is still one of the elite scorers in the league.
Now that LeBron James is playing in the Western Conference, Anthony could help the Heat claim the empty throne in the Eastern Conference. Once the Heat succeed to acquire the veteran small forward, it will not be a surprise if his close pal, Dwyane Wade, considers playing one more season in Miami.
