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Houston Rockets have agreed to trade Carmelo Anthony to the Chicago Bulls, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.
Houston will also send cash to Chicago in the deal, which will not be completed until Tuesday.
Anthony, Wojnarowski added, will not play a game for the Bulls. He will be waived and become a free agent. This is the second time in less than 12 months that Anthony has ‘joined’ a team and never actually stepped on the court for them.
The Rockets acquired Kenneth Faried recently, and waived James Nunnally to make space on the roster. Anthony’s departure gives Houston another spot to reinforce their depth as they battle against an injury crisis.
Clint Capela and Chris Paul are both unavailable for Mike D’Antoni at the moment. The Rockets lost Luc Mbah a Moute and Trevor Ariza to free agency in the offseason, which has forced D’Antoni to give a lot of minutes to fringe players. Houston will undoubtedly be active before the trade deadline and in the buyout market.
Wojnarkowski also reported that the Bulls may not waive Anthony until the trade deadline. Chicago could yet look for a return for the future Hall of Famer. Anthony wants to keep playing, so we are likely to see him get NBA minutes again, despite suggestions to the contrary earlier in the season.
Should Anthony hit free agency, the rumours of joining up with LeBron James in a Laker uniform will increase further. He could be a useful veteran presence on a ‘developing’ team, or a contender may give him another go as a member of their second unit. The Philadelphia 76ers would be an option, for instance, given their lack of shooting.
Anthony is still a star. The eyes of the league will be on his future – if, or when, he returns to action, the basketball world will be paying attention. The rumour mill is about to go into overdrive, and it’s only fitting that the Bulls are involved in the Anthony soap opera.
