Published on July 30th, 2018 | by Landon Buford
0Robert Horry Believes Rockets Will Return To Western Conference With Addition Of Melo
The Atlanta Hawks have officially worked out a buyout with 3-time Olympic Gold Medalist Carmelo Anthony giving back $2.4 million of his $27.9M salary, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The $2.4 million is the veteran’s minimum that Carmelo will get back when signs with his new team, which most likely will be the Houston Rockets once he clears waivers.
Carmelo Anthony has finalized buyout with the Atlanta Hawks, giving back $2.4M of his $27.9M salary, league sources tell ESPN. That’s veteran’s minimum he’ll get back with new team. Anthony will wait to clear waivers in 48 hours to officially tell Rockets of intentions to sign.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 30, 2018
Anthony recent sat down with ESPN’s Jemele Hill and revealed that he felt like everything was rushed and that, “it wasn’t a good fit.”
“At the end of the day, it wasn’t a good fit. I think last year—and I haven’t talked about this before—everything was just so rushed, going to the team for media day and the day before training camp. Them guys already had something in place, and then I come along in the 25th hour like, ‘Oh shit, Melo just come on and join us. Like, you can figure it out since you’ve been around the game for a long time.’
“That’s why it was so inconsistent. At times, I had to figure it out on my own rather than somebody over there or people over there helping me.” Anthony told Hill
Anthony would continue
“To get bought out, to get waived, you were looked at like, you’re done. Now, it’s just almost like the norm. If something doesn’t work, go ahead and get a buyout or go ahead and get traded. That’s the new norm in our society in basketball. I had to get over that.”
“I had a conversation with my wife and family. I said to them, I’m not taking no buyout. I’m not getting waived. And they said, at the end of the day, nobody is going to know that. You have to do what you have to do. It’s going to be a blip on your radar. It’s on to the next chapter. It took me a while to get to that point where I’m like, OK, I’m going to accept it.”
Last week I spoke with former Rocket and Basketball Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler about Carmelo joining the Rockets “I think Carmelo has a lot left in the tank and you have to remember the Rockets led the league in wins with 65 last season. That is pretty phenomenal, and you added Carmelo to the mix I all think it will improve what they were able to do last year. Carmelo is a proven commodity, so his real value is how he can do to help that team in the playoffs, and I can’t wait” said, Drexler.
Recently former Rocket Robert Horry sat down with Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson on Scoop B Radio. During the interview, Robinson asked Horry his thoughts about Carmelo joining the Rockets and he would fit within the team chemistry
“Carmelo’s forte isn’t defense and him and D’Antoni don’t have the best rapport,” told Scoop B Radio
Horry doesn’t think the whole defensive thing will be a big issue with the Rockets and Anthony because “This is a team that doesn’t want to play defense,” he said.
“So it doesn’t really matter; they just want to run and gun.”
The Rockets have already lost Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute this offseason, but adding Anthony will help the Rockets on the offensive side of the Ball.
“I think D’Antoni is smart and he’ll figure it out,” Horry said.“They’ll get back to the Western Conference Finals.”
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