Houston Rockets players and members of the coaching staff believe that veteran forward Carmelo Anthony has already played in his final game for the Rockets, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon. Carmelo, 34, hasn't been with the team for their last two games with what has been described as an "illness," and he didn't join the Rockets on their trip to Denver last night, according to the report.
The Rockets have attempted to quiet speculation that Melo's time in Houston has come to an end, but there's a real chance that the 10-time All-Star could be waived as early as today. The Rockets signed Anthony to a one-year deal for the veterans minimum of $2.4 million after he received a buyout from the Atlanta Hawks.
Tim MacMahon notes that Carmelo's spot is likely to be filled by Gary Clark, an undrafted rookie out of Cincinnati. "Anthony's spot on the roster is likely to be filled by signing undrafted rookie Gary Clark, currently on a two-way contract, for the minimum. Clark has become a favorite of D'Antoni, earning the bulk of the minutes that were expected to go to Anthony."
In 10 games with Houston this season, Melo is averaging 13.4 points and 5.4 rebounds in a career-low 29.4 minutes per night. Anthony's last time on the floor, playing in a 98-80 loss against his former team the OKC Thunder, he scored just two points on 1-of-11 shooting in 20 minutes of action.
The Rockets picked up a win against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, which puts them at 5-7 for the season.