Carmelo Anthony 'In the Mix' for Rockets, GM Daryl Morey Confirms

The Houston Rockets are viewed as one of the favorites to land Carmelo Anthony if and when he hits the open market, and general manager Daryl Morey has made it no secret that his team is interested in the former All-Star.

On Saturday, Morey responded to a fan's question about Anthony by saying that the Rockets are "in the mix," via The Athletic's Alykhan Bijani:

There has been no shortage of Melo-to-Houston rumors this offseason. Yahoo Sports' Jordan Schultz reported earlier this month that Chris Paul was pushing for the team to sign his friend. James Harden went on the record last week, via Matt Young of the Houston Chronicle, saying that Anthony would be a "great acquisition."

"Melo's a proven vet," Harden added. "He just wants to win at this point, so it would be great for him to be on our team. The current roster we have now, we've got good guys back and we keep making forward progress."

And then there was a report by NBA.com's David Aldridge that revealed Anthony has been telling people he expects to be a Rocket.

Of course, Anthony is still under contract after exercising his $27.9 million player option earlier this summer. He was recently traded to the Atlanta Hawks, a move that is expected to result in a buyout. But until a buyout is reached, he does not have much say in which uniform he will be wearing next season.

If the forward does wind up in Houston, it will mark a reunion between Anthony and Mike D'Antoni. D'Antoni once told ESPN The Magazine's Tim Keown that he quit his Knicks gig because of a strained relationship with Anthony; however, Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post reported in early July that the coach would be willing to give it another shot.

Anthony made a career-high 169 three-pointers last season, and the Rockets led the league in three-point attempts. It seems like a logical destination, especially since Anthony is still chasing that elusive championship ring.