NBA Rumors 2014: Houston Rockets willing to trade anyone but James Harden or Dwight Howard for Carmelo Anthony
By Chris Walder
Carmelo Anthony will be one of ultimate prizes on the open market this summer as several teams scratch and claw to secure his services in free agency.
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The Houston Rockets will likely throw their names in that hat after a 54-28 season that saw the team get eliminated in six games by the Portland Trail Blazers in the opening round of the 2014 NBA playoffs.
As Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reports in his latest “NBA AM” column for the site, anyone on the team not named James Harden or Dwight Howard could be available if the Rockets decide to work a sign-and-trade with the New York Knicks.
He mentions how a “give away trade” of center Omer Asik, point guard Jeremy Lin and the 25th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft has been put on the table in a potential deal. Terrence Jones could also be sent packing to make the numbers work:
"If the Rockets can find a taker for those contracts they’d go from a best-case $56.9 million in salary commitments to $40.2 million, which means $22.7 million in cap space. That’s more than enough for Houston to get into the game in a serious way for Anthony."
The Rockets have a superior roster to that of the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls, teams Kyler also mentions as suitors for the seven-time NBA All-Star. They’d also be able to offer Anthony more money if they can move certain pieces around.
It will ultimately come down to where Anthony can make the most dough and have the best chance at winning an NBA championship, something that has eluded him his entire career.