Carmelo Anthony Trade Rumors: Star 'Counting' on Rockets Move

Carmelo Anthony is reportedly still "counting" on a trade to the Houston Rockets after the New York Knicks hired Scott Perry as their new general manager and elevated Steve Mills to president.  

According to ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski, Anthony "has continued with an expectation that the Knicks will soon resume talks to honor the franchise's longstanding goal to rebuild without" him.

Wojnarowski also cited league sources who said Anthony has "begun to prioritize a trade to the Rockets" over a possible move to the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

The news comes after Wojnarowski and ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne reported Thursday the Knicks were "pausing" trade talks with the Rockets and Cavaliers with the goal of talking to Anthony about "possibly reincorporating him into the organization."

On Saturday, Wojnarowski reported the Knicks are "evaluating whether there's a window of time worth trying to rebuild" Anthony's trade value after former president Phil Jackson stripped the franchise of negotiating leverage when he told reporters the 10-time All-Star would be "better off somewhere else."

The Rockets, meanwhile, remain "determined" to trade for Anthony, per Wojnarowski. 

However, finding a plausible deal to land him has proved difficult, since the Knicks have been reluctant to absorb the three years and $61.2 million remaining on Ryan Anderson's contract in any two-team swap. 

As a result, the two sides have explored four-team trade scenarios, per Wojnarowski. That has only added an extra layer of complexity to the discussions with pressure mounting for the two sides to finalize a deal.