Carmelo Anthony Sounds Off on Thunder: 'No Strategy to Me Being Here'

The Carmelo Anthony that suited up for the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017-18 was not the same Carmelo Anthony that basketball fans had come to know through the years.

And now the 10-time All-Star is speaking out.

One day after his team was eliminated from the 2018 NBA postseason, Anthony questioned the role the organization put him in, via the Norman Transcript's Fred Katz:

Anthony went on to call his first season in an OKC uniform "interesting," via Katz, and made it clear, per ESPN.com's Royce Young, a bench role next season is "out of the question."

In the span of seven months, the former NBA scoring champ went from a key contributor to a promising Big Three to an afterthought.

Despite teaming up Anthony and Paul George with reigning NBA MVP Russell Westbrook, this season did not go as planned for Oklahoma City. Even with all of the talent in the starting lineup, the team had to fight for a playoff spot the entire season until finally grabbing the fourth seed with a record of 48-34.

While Westbrook and George continued to put up All-Star numbers, Anthony took a step back. The 15-year veteran posted career lows in playing time (32.1 minutes per game), scoring (16.2 points) and shooting percentage (40.4 percent from the field).

The postseason would not go any better, though, as the Utah Jazz knocked the Thunder out in six games. In the first-round series, Anthony averaged just 11.8 points on 37.5 percent shooting and 5.7 rebounds. He was on the court for "just" 32.3 minutes per game while Westbrook (39.2 minutes) and George (41.8) were leaned heavily upon.

There were numerous occasions this season where Anthony found himself on the bench in clutch situations, including entire fourth quarters. The 33-year-old didn't let his situation become a distraction in the moment, but it's clear he isn't happy with how head coach Billy Donovan used him.

Now, all eyes are on Anthony to see what he does this summer. He can either opt in for the final year of his current contract at nearly $28 million, or he can opt out and hit the open market in hopes of finding a team that will let him play his game.