James Harden Feels Carmelo Anthony Would Be 'Great' For Houston Rockets

Houston Rockets star James Harden would welcome Carmelo Anthony as he believes the 34-year-old would be a "great acquisition" for the Western Conference side.

Anthony endured a disappointing 2017/18 season with the Oklahoma City Thunder which was capped off by their first round playoff exit at the hands of the Utah Jazz. He finished the regular season campaign with a career-low 32.1 minutes per game that resulted in an average of just 16.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists.

The 10-time All-Star has since been traded to the Atlanta Hawks but is expected to be waived, allowing him to join a team of his choice. There's speculation that the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat could be two of his potential destinations, however, the Rockets seem to be the frontrunners as of now.

A move to Houston would be an ideal choice for Anthony as it would allow him to join a team best capable of winning a championship, having never featured in the NBA Finals, while he will also get to play alongside longtime friend Chris Paul, who is reportedly advocating for him to move to the Rockets.

With Anthony himself reportedly telling people he will end up at the Rockets, it seems all but confirmed at this point, and the New York City native has now received the blessing of Harden, who thinks a potential move would be great for the team.

"It would be a great acquisition for us," Harden said, according to 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."

In addition, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey recently stated in an Instagram Q&A that they were "in the mix' for Anthony while adding he had something up his sleeve.

Anthony was notably not pleased with the role he got with the Thunder last season and made it well known that he was not going to accept a lesser role following their playoffs exit.

"I think the player that they wanted me to be and needed me to be was for the sake of this season," Anthony said. "As far as being effective as that type of player, I don't think I can be effective as that type of player. I think I was willing to accept that challenge in that role, but I think I bring a little bit more to the game as far as being more knowledgeable and what I still can do as a basketball player."

The Rockets, meanwhile, finished the regular season as the No. 1 seed after recording 65 wins through the partnership of Harden, later named MVP, and Paul. They notably led 3-2 against the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals before an injury to Paul saw the Warriors rally to win the series 4-3.

Despite the arrival of LeBron James at the Los Angeles Lakers, the Rockets are still regarded as the biggest threat to the Warriors. While Anthony is unlikely to be the focal point if he joins Houston, if he performs to his capabilities in what is likely to be a spot-up shooter role and the Rockets are able to go one better than last year, he could potentially be looking at a first-ever NBA ring.