Carmelo Anthony seemed to enjoy himself at the Oklahoma City Thunder’s media day Monday. But if he’s being honest, he’s not quite sure how he got there.
Anthony appeared destined for the Houston Rockets this offseason: The 33-year-old’s tenure with the New York Knicks was all but over, as it was reported he would waive his no-trade clause only to join the Rockets, teaming up with pals James Harden and Chris Paul.
Last Friday, though, it was reported that Anthony expanded his list to include the Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers. And one day later, he was headed to the Thunder to join Paul George and Russell Westbrook.
So, what happened? Anthony revealed in a recent interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio that he was prepared to head to Houston, too.
“I think it was within the last week, week and a half before training camp,” Anthony said, as transcribed by UPROXX. “A deal was done with Houston early. Then for some reason, whatever happened behind the scenes, it didn’t go through. Then we really had to pay attention and think about other options.”
Per Anthony, a deal was in place with the Rockets — until it wasn’t, and the 10-time All-Star was left scrambling for other options just one week before training camp. It’s unclear why that deal fell apart, but it was a tough break for Houston, as Anthony joined an OKC club that could compete directly with the Rockets in the Western Conference.
Thumbnail photo via Noah K. Murray/USA TODAY Sports Images
