Carmelo Anthony will stick with Oklahoma City Thunder after deciding not to accept his early-termination option, Yahoo Sports' Shams Charania reported on Saturday.
Sources: Carmelo Anthony has informed the Oklahoma City Thunder that he has opted into $27.9M deal for 2018-19 by not exercising his early termination option.
Anthony was traded to the Thunder last September after sticking with the New York Knicks for seven seasons. His first season in Oklahoma City was a disappointing one: He averaged a career-low 16.2 points and the Thunder's playoff run ended in the first round. Anthony criticized the organization's strategy during his April exit interview.
“I think the player that they wanted me to be and needed me to be was for the sake of this season,” Anthony said. “Everything was just thrown together and it wasn't anything that was planned out. Wasn't no strategy to me being here, me being a part of the actual system and what type of player and things like that.”
Days later, a report from Sean Deveney of Sporting Newsclaimed that the Thunder was ready to move on from Melo. While it looks like the Melo-Russell Westbrook connection is actually here to stay, there's still questions marks surrounding teammate Paul George, who hits free agency this summer.
