Carmelo Anthony is in a strange spot right now as the Houston Rockets is still trying to figure out a trade deal that would give the team some advantage. The Rockets’ latest match against the Detroit Pistons saw that ‘Melo wasn’t given any minutes at all.
The game ended with the Pistons taking the victory. While others might argue that Carmelo Anthony’s presence would’ve changed the results, it’s likely that the Pistons will only exploit ‘Melo’s lack of defense. It is this aspect of his playstyle that has been heavily criticized by NBA analysts.
Fox Sports analysts Cris Carter even said that Carmelo Anthony can only blame himself for the predicament he’s in. The former American football player added that if ‘Melo would’ve taken the time to take care of his body, then his performance wouldn’t be as bad as it is now.
And since the Rockets are trying to get rid of him, fans and critics are asking if there is a team out there that is genuinely interested in Carmelo Anthony. However, no team has surfaced so far.
But the two teams that are being speculated at the moment is the Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers. The former is included in the narrative because of Lebron James and his friendship with Carmelo Anthony. When James was asked whether or not it’s possible for ‘Melo to find a spot on the Lakers’ roster, the superstar said he’s in no position to talk about that matter.
The 76ers, on the other hand, is being considered as they need to fill the void left by Dario Saric and Robert Covington. But this is pure speculation at this point and nothing is confirmed at the moment. Meanwhile, the Rockets doesn’t seem interested in giving Carmelo Anthony some playtime in the future as they’re reportedly just waiting for Dec. 15.
The wait is due to the fact that Carmelo Anthony’s trade restrictions will be lifted on this date. Letting him go now will only cost the Rockets money as the team would have to pay the tax penalty on the forward’s contract, RocketsWire reported.