Carmelo Anthony Odds: Rockets Favored to Land Star Amid Lakers Rumors

The Houston Rockets are the favorites to land Oklahoma City Thunder star Carmelo Anthony, pending his departure from the team.

OddsShark provided odds in the sweepstakes for the 10-time All-Star:

ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski and Royce Young reported Friday the Thunder were discussing their options with Anthony's representatives to make his exit as smooth as possible.

Yahoo Sports' Jordan Schultz reported Anthony was interested in joining the Los Angeles Lakers and playing with LeBron James, who agreed to a four-year deal with the Lakers on July 1.

The Rockets, however, are doing their best to land Anthony. According to Schultz, point guard Chris Paul is "advocating" for Houston to make the move. ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin also reported representatives of the franchise met with Anthony's business manager during an NBA summer league game Sunday:

Anthony would likely be the replacement for Trevor Ariza. Yahoo Sports' Shams Charania reported June 30 that Ariza agreed to a one-year, $15 million deal with the Phoenix Suns.

While Anthony is a proven scorer, he'd be a defensive downgrade from Ariza. Especially in a seven-game playoff series, opponents would look to exploit Anthony on that end of the floor.

Granted, Houston is $16.1 million over the salary cap, so the team's free-agent options are limited. Should the Rockets fail to sign Anthony or agree to a trade with the Thunder, they won't have many alternatives in their search for Ariza's successor.