HOUSTON – The long-awaited journey to free agency for Carmelo Anthony is reaching its conclusion.
The Atlanta Hawks have officially requested waivers on Anthony, paving the way for him to join the Houston Rockets.
Now that all players involved in the three-team deal that sent Anthony to the Hawks have passed their physicals, the trade is essentially completed.
It takes 48 hours to clear waivers, then Anthony would be declared a free agent. That is expected to happen on Wednesday at 4 p.m. Houston time.
Sources indicate 'Melo is expected to sign with Houston for the veteran’s minimum ($2.4 million) for one season.
Anthony played this season with the Thunder, scoring 16.2 points per game, the lowest mark of his career. Though he shot 36 percent from behind the three-point line during the regular season.
Of greater concern is his sharp dropoff in the postseason. During the Thunder’s six-game series with the Jazz, Anthony made just six of 28 three-point shots (21.4 percent), marking the third consecutive postseason shooting under 30 percent on three-point shots for Anthony dating back to his time with the New York Knicks.
Worth considering that during his time with New York, he was obviously a high-volume shooter and the focus of their offense and thus a similar focus for opposing defenses. That will clearly not be the case if he joins a team with reigning MVP James Harden, Chris Paul, Eric Gordon and Clint Capela.