It's Happening!!
We all knew Carmelo would not be a Knick to start the next NBA season. There was some speculation on where he will be traded or if he'll get bought out by the Knicks. New York has consulted Carmelo and there was a report stating that he is only willing to waive his no-trade clause if he ends up in either a Rockets or Cavaliers jersey.
A few minutes ago, Adrian Wojnarowski just dropped a bombshell that the Knicks are in heavy trade talks with the Rockets and are nearing a deal. It is expected to be a 4 team deal and by the looks of it we all knew this was coming. Houston will most likely need to ship out one or two of the following players in order to make space for Carmelo's contract:
Ryan Anderson
Eric Gordon
Trevor Ariza
I've also read from other sources over the last couple of days that a deal is expected to be finalized shortly. Carmelo is going to Houston to team up with Harden and CP3!
It's interesting how Carmelo shortlisted to the two teams that have his "banana boat" pals (excluding Wade). It makes sense for him to team up with them and chase rings. He's at that point in his career as well where he's earned his money but has no championships to show for it. I mean this is what the NBA has come to... Creating super teams to compete with the Warriors. Star players need to make sacrifices and take pay cuts in order to retain talent and compete for championships. Kevin Durant is the greatest example of this. He left millions of dollars on the table so they could resign the key pieces that led them to a championship this year... Just so they can compete again next year.
Is Carmelo Anthony a Hall of Famer?
In my mind, you need to win a championship at least once to be considered a Hall of Famer. There are obvious exceptions to this rule but I don't think Melo is deserving of the Hall of Famer title without a ring. He hasn't even made it to the NBA finals. I say the same thing about Chris Paul. As good of a point guard as he is, he is not a Hall of Famer because he's never accomplished anything in the playoffs... When it truly counts. That's why it's interesting to see Carmelo and CP3 teaming up in Houston with Harden and try to get a ring. Essentially their legacy is on the line and they know if they don't come out successful with these three superstars they will be heavily scrutinized. I do like the fact that they're willing to put themselves in a position to win a championship. A lot of players would be content with being the best player on a bad team and earn a lot of money without ever competing for a championship. Dwight Howard is the perfect example of this.
I'm happy for Carmelo and I hope he finds what he's looking for. I just miss the old Carmelo who battled Kobe in a physical playoff series back when he was on Denver. I'm looking forward to him returning and wish him all the best.