Several members of the Houston Rockets organization, including general manager Daryl Morey and star point guard Chris Paul, took some time out of their Monday to welcome the newest member of the team, Carmelo Anthony.
Paul didn’t have to say much in his welcome tweet. As most hoops fans know, he and Anthony have been close friends for quite some time and are part of the infamous Banana Boat crew.
Welcome my brother
pic.twitter.com/RbthOlamn4
— Chris Paul (@CP3) August 13, 2018
News of Anthony’s signing with the Rockets has created a lot of buzz. Exactly what sort of role he’ll play — starter or reserve — remains to be seen. There has been some speculation that he may come off the bench, but the decision will ultimately be up to head coach Mike D’Antoni. Either way, he’s expected to at least compete for a starting spot during training camp.
Of course, Carmelo Anthony will compete for a starting spot in training camp, but ultimately could come off the bench — based on whatever Mike D’Antoni decides makes most sense for Rockets. https://t.co/1Gn2eJlhye
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 13, 2018
Anthony, now 34 years of age, received $25.5 million of his original 2018-19 salary in a buyout from the Atlanta Hawks. He waived his no-trade clause earlier this summer, which allowed the Oklahoma City Thunder to send him to Atlanta in a three-way deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. All in all, he’ll make $2.4 million in Houston to reach the $27.9 million he was originally owed.
Most NBA fans know Anthony as a great scorer, but his production fell off a bit last season in Oklahoma City. In his 78 appearances with the Thunder, the former No. 3 overall pick posted averages of 16.2 points on 40.4 percent shooting from the field (35.7 percent from beyond the arc), 5.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 32.1 minutes per outing.
Paul was asked what excites him most about Houston’s addition of Anthony in an interview with NBA TV on Friday.
“A lot of things,” Paul replied. “I think Melo, along with a lot of other guys on our team, we always feel like we play like we have something to prove. Obviously, the friendship — the brotherhood that Melo and I share — it’s always nice to play with a guy you’re that close with.”
“It’s always nice to play with a guy that you’re that close with.”@CP3 is excited to welcome Melo to H-Town! #GameTime pic.twitter.com/Zb1nzMUsSO
— NBA TV (@NBATV) August 10, 2018
The post Chris Paul welcomes Carmelo Anthony to Rockets appeared first on ClutchPoints.
