NBA Rumors: Carmelo Anthony Return Possible If Team Loses Player To Injury, Analyst Says

Carmelo Anthony continues to wait if he will still be able to play in the NBA. Right now, he remains in limbo with the Houston Rockets, who continue to roll despite Melo being grounded.

To date, no team has actually made a move to get the services of the all-star forward. But as mentioned in a previous post, Melo's fortune could look up by the February NBA trade deadline. Waiving or buying out Anthony are options. If no trade pitch comes their way, this may likely be the scenario the 34-year-old is facing. But then what?

Former NBA player and sports analyst Jalen Rose believes that Anthony's career is likely over. In a report from TMZ Sports, Rose said that the only window of opportunity for Anthony is if a team loses a player to injury.

"He can still contribute. It's just ... finding the right opportunity is tough because unless there's a major injury, a contender team probably wouldn't add him. And then, a lottery team is probably looking to 'Stop tryin' for Zion,' so they're tanking in a lot of ways," Rose, who is no stranger when it comes to making controversial comments, said.

Anthony played just 10 games in Houston, the last of which was back in November. He was already eligible for trade last Dec. 15. In 10 games, he averaged 13.4 points and 5.4 rebounds in 29.4 minutes per game, Forbes reported.

The Los Angeles Lakers have long been rumored as a potential destination for Anthony, mainly because of LeBron James. However, the Lakers set the record straight when they revealed that they had no plans of adding the all-star forward, CBS Sports reported.

Now, there are rumors swirling that Anthony could be considered in a trade against another controversial player, J.R. Smith. Amico Hoops said that the Rockets are slightly interested in Smith, and looking at an Anthony trade package (at the least) is what the Cleveland Cavaliers would need to do.

Assuming this does materialize, it may not benefit Anthony at all. Seeing as how the Cavs have been dealing away players and focusing on a rebuild, the 10-time NBA All-Star could eventually end up getting waived or bought out as well. Apparently, the main gist here is getting Smith and not Melo, who is likely the sacrificial lamb of the deal.

Rose believes Anthony is a future NBA Hall of Famer. But leaving the pro ranks in style may not necessarily be sweet based on his current situation.