By ADAM ZAGORIA
It now seems virtually inevitable that Carmelo Anthony will join forces with James Harden and Chris Paul on the Houston Rockets to make yet another run at the Golden State Warriors.
Marc Stein of The New York Times reported Anthony plans to sign with the Rockets upon clearing waivers and will sign for the veteran’s minimum of $2.4 million. Anthony will also pocket the $27,928,140 paid by the Hawks. He was traded to the Hawks last Thursday.
“It would be a great acquisition for us,” Harden told the Houston Chronicle. “Melo’s a proven vet. He just wants to win at this point, so it would be great for him to be on our team. The current roster we have now, we’ve got good guys back and we keep making forward progress.”
Anthony had been linked to the Rockets and other teams after meeting with Rockets brass and head coach Mike D’Antoni at Summer League.
Houston now has an opening at small forward after Trevor Ariza signed with the Phoenix Suns and Luc Mbah a Moute with the L.A. Clippers, although Anthony’s history with D’Antoni is not all rosy dating to their time together with the Knicks.
D’Antoni went 121-167 as Knicks coach, leaving in 2012 about a year after the team acquired Anthony.
In an ESPN article, D’Antoni wrote that “Anthony said the team needed to choose between him and D’Antoni.”
Now the two will mend fences and try to make another run at the Warriors.
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