3 career moves that cost Carmelo Anthony a Championship ring
Carmelo Anthony is a 10-time All-Star, who is rightfully regarded by many as one of the best scorers in NBA history.
Anthony was chosen by the Denver Nuggets as the third overall pick of the famed 2003 NBA draft, after playing just one year of college basketball for Syracuse. The forward averaged 21 points during his rookie season, and the Nuggets never failed to reach the playoffs while Anthony was leading the team.
By 2011, Melo had outgrown the Nuggets franchise, and he decided to make a blockbuster move to the New York Knicks. While his time in New York didn't result in an NBA Championship, Melo remained a perennial All-Star, and he managed to win his first scoring title in 2013.
Since leaving the Knicks, the 34-year-old has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, and most recently, the Houston Rockets, although he is now without a team. Over his glittering career, Anthony has averaged 24 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists, but despite his individual brilliance, Melo has still never won an NBA Championship.
Here is a look at three career moves that have cost Anthony the chance to win a ring.
#3 Houston Rockets - 2017
Carmelo Anthony finally joined the Houston Rockets in the summer of 2018, after a buyout was agreed between the player and the Atlanta Hawks. This came after the Thunder had traded away the player after just one season, as OKC needed to cut their wage bill following the extension of Paul George's contract.
Anthony's stint in Houston lasted only 10 games, although it could have been very different if Melo had joined the team 12 months earlier.
Back in the summer of 2017, he was still appreciated as a player who was excellent offensively, and the Rockets wouldn't have been as quick to pull the plug on his time in Houston. Melo would also have been joining a team that came within one game of ending the Warriors' recent dominance.
Despite this, the 34-year-old was not willing to wait for the Rockets to finalize a trade with the Knicks, and instead opted to join the Thunder.