The Houston Rockets are said to be "aggressively working to find a trade" for Carmelo Anthony by Monday.
A report from The Athletic claims that the exiled forward has multiple options ahead of the February 7 trade deadline and will make a decision soon. But, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Rockets want to trade the player prior to Monday's 5 p.m. ET deadline to free up a roster spot so they could sign Brooklyn Nets big man Kenneth Faried.
The Western Conference outfit will have to trade a player to a team with an open roster spot or waive a player in order to sign Faried. But the team is reported as having no intention to waive Anthony and will look to trade him by Monday.
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"The Rockets are aggressively working to find a trade for the exiled Carmelo Anthony before Monday's 5 p.m. ET deadline to clear a roster spot for Faried, league sources said. The Rockets will need to trade a player to a team with an open roster spot, or waive a player, before signing Faried.
"The team has no intention of waiving Anthony, league sources told ESPN. It is possible for Houston to hold off on signing Faried to find a way to create the roster spot, but there's a need to get him into the team's depleted frontcourt as soon as Monday night against the 76ers."
- Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN.com
Faried has reportedly agreed to a buyout with the Nets and will clear waivers by Monday. The Rockets plan to move him into the lineup right away to limit the effect of them losing center Clint Capela to injury, and he will be called upon to help replace some of the defence and rebounding they've lost as a result of the player's recent finger surgery.
Wojnarowski also notes that the Rockets could release James Nunnally - who only joined the team this month - if they can't work out a trade for Anthony in time.
What This Means
Anthony hasn't played for the Rockets since November 8 and his Houston career as an active player lasted just 10 games.
It was thought that his time in the NBA could be done following failed stints with both the Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder. But, as The Athletic would have it, there are still several options for him to choose from.
The Rockets have struggled with both full and depleted rosters this season and James Harden has been left to shoulder most of the burden, having dragged them back into contention for a top finish this season with some insane performances.
Losing Capela, though, has come as a big blow and the team is hoping to remedy that by bringing Faried in next week.