Carmelo Anthony Speaks After Trade Rumors, Reports He Wants To Join Rockets

Carmelo Anthony has made his first public comments since the end of the regular season. The New York Knicks’ star had been silent amidst rumors that he could be traded to either the Houston Rockets or Cleveland Cavaliers.

Even though Anthony is still on the Knicks, for now, reports indicate that both sides are ready to move on from one another. The only issue is finding a trade to satisfy both parties, and that’s been difficult over the last few months.

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According to multiple reports, the Rockets are the only team Anthony is interested in joining. He no longer wants to play with LeBron James and Cleveland, which appears to be one of the few franchises that can rival New York in terms of dysfunction.

“You know I can’t comment about all that,” Anthony said, via The New York Post, when asked about wanting to be traded to Houston at a community event in his hometown of Baltimore. Anthony is in town to host “The Basketball Tournament,” which is down to the final four teams.

Cleveland was once thought to be Anthony’s preferred destination, but that was before the events of the summer. Houston traded for Chris Paul, looking to potentially be the top threat to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference. It’s looking like the Cavs will be without Kyrie Irving next year since the point guard has asked to be traded.

Anthony never asked to be dealt. It was a decision made by former team president Phil Jackson, publicly, before he was let go by owner James Dolan.

“An emotional roller coaster, an emotional roller coaster,’’ Anthony said, describing his last 12 months. “But I had to find peace. I had to come to peace with myself and come to peace with kind of the situation I’m in and kind of try to find happiness. I kind of lost that a little bit but I’m finding it now and it feels good.”

Anthony said he didn’t know if he would be with the Knicks when training camp starts. Even with Jackson gone, New York is looking to move on from Anthony and rebuild.

If Anthony would waive his no-trade clause for a team besides the Rockets, he’d probably no longer be with the Knicks. The Portland Trail Blazers are reportedly interested in acquiring the All-Star, and they have the pieces necessary to make a deal work. Portland guards Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum have publicly said that they want to play with Anthony, but it doesn’t appear that the forward will be headed to the Pacific Northwest anytime soon.

READ: Are The Portland Trail Blazers A Legitimate Option For Carmelo Anthony?

The Knicks reportedly tried to deal Anthony at the trade deadline but to no avail. Houston doesn’t have a very desirable package to offer New York, though it’s difficult to see Anthony wearing a Knicks uniform again after the events of the past few months.

“I’ve been good,’’ Anthony said. “I’ve been away from the fray. You haven’t heard comments from me. I’m growing my hair out right now, spending time with the family. I’m being an AAU dad right now. That’s what matters to me at this point. Nothing else really matters.”