Tilman Fertitta was ‘surprised’ Rockets decided to get rid of Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony is no longer a member of the Houston Rockets, or any NBA team for that matter. Heck, Joe Johnson found a front office that wanted to sign him before Anthony did.

What does that mean for Anthony’s future? It doesn’t feel like Anthony is going to find an NBA team soon, although injuries happen and there are always better and signings for the playoffs.

In any case, Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has said that he was a little surprised that his own front office decided to let Anthony go via trade after just 10 games in 2018-19.

Via SNY:

You know, it’s really unusual because I never really got a chance to meet Melo but all I heard is what a gentleman he was and that he was going to play whatever part or role on the team that the coaches wanted him to play. And basketball ops decided to make a decision and, you know, it kinda surprised me too, as a fan of the Houston Rockets. But I know what I know and I know what I don’t know. And if my basketball ops thought that we should move on, then I sure wasn’t going to tell them not to, even though I thought that Melo’s one the greatest players to ever play the game.”

Fertitta went on to say that he felt that Anthony is one of the top 150 players in the NBA, and that it was likely he would end up on a team sometime soon.

That might be a bit of a stretch given the context of both Anthony’s style and age, but it’s nice that Fertitta is being cordial in the aftermath of what appears to be the end of Anthony’s career.