Carmelo Anthony’s time in Houston might be coming to a close much faster than anyone expected. On Sunday, Marc Stein of The New York Times reported that the Rockets organization has resolved to part ways with the former All-Star forward and is evaluating their options.
This comes on the heels of an inauspicious 4-7 start to the season, during which the Rockets have resembled little more than a shell of the squad that pushed the defending champs to the brink in the Western Conference Finals last spring. It’s partly due to losing key perimeter shooters and defenders in the offseason and was compounded by Chris Paul’s two-game suspension for his role in a brawl with Rajon Rondo during a game against the Lakers opening week.
But Carmelo Anthony has become an easy and familiar target for whatever woes his current team is facing, especially after a dreadful year in OKC and an equally bad start to his tenure in Houston in the first month of the new season. Even Rockets’ GM Daryl Morey said Melo has been unfairly maligned amid the latest rumors of his imminent departure, and he isn’t the only one who feels that way.
Dwyane Wade took to Twitter on Sunday to defend his close friend, echoing Morey’s sentiment that there’s plenty of blame to go around beyond Carmelo Anthony’s individual struggles, amplified though they may be.
Trying to make my guy @carmeloanthony the fall guy huh!? Man y’all need to stop. That’s the easy way out instead of addressing what the real problem.
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) November 12, 2018
Wade himself recently announced that he will take another week away from basketball to spend time with his wife Gabrielle Union and their newborn daughter in Los Angeles. Wade has announced that this will be his final NBA season.
With the way things have gone for Anthony in recent years, he could also be headed for retirement sooner rather than later. Fair or not, his reputation has taken a major blow after failed stints in Houston and OKC in consecutive seasons, and teams around the league will likely be understandably wary to assume that sort of risk and all the baggage that comes with bringing him in.
