A few days ago, news broke that Oklahoma forward Carmelo Anthony had decided along with the Thunder organization that his time in Oklahoma City had come to an end, and they would come to an agreement concerning his exit.
ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported earlier this evening that Melo and his camp has been meeting with prospective teams, and the Thunder has begun trying to piece together a trade scenario. All of this is dependent upon Anthony waiving his no-trade clause, which he has reportedly done.
Thunder are working on trade scenarios where Anthony, 34, would be moved as an expiring contract and be waived, becoming a free agent once his $28M clears waivers. OKC needs the Anthony’s permission to waive no-trade clause, which he has done to facilitate his exit, sources said. https://t.co/1p6hoBvTIs
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 10, 2018
Likely destinations for Anthony appear to be Houston, Miami, and Philadelphia. While the details of what is to happen are still very unclear, there are a few immediate positive impacts for Oklahoma City:
- The Thunder Saves Money: Melo’s $28M contract was going to cost Oklahoma City excessively more than that due to the repeater luxury tax, and now that his contract will be off the books, the Thunder will be in a much better financial situation moving forward.
- The Thunder Has a Chance to Bring in Another Piece: While a trade is not guaranteed, it is highly possible, and if Oklahoma City can bring in somebody that can immediately contribute, then it will furthermore bolster the roster that Sam Presti has worked to keep together and add to for next season.
- Chemistry Should Improve: While Anthony was a welcome sight to Thunder fans back in October, his exit isn’t exactly bringing Oklahoma City to tears. His time spent here will likely be looked upon as “what could have been” as the Thunder was never able to completely get it together. The primary issue of Melo’s presence was the lack of chemistry with of a lot of the lineups that had him on the floor.
No matter what happens, Carmelo Anthony should be wished well in the remainder of his NBA career, and I expect that he should be welcomed back to Oklahoma City with a loud, albeit short, round of applause accompanied by cheers.
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