Looky here at this free-agency summit.
Okay fine, it wasn’t really a summit. It was more like a private confab. A sequestered meeting between friends.
An invite-only powwow.
Yeah, that’s was this was. I think.
After listening to the Houston Rockets’ free-agency pitch, Carmelo Anthony stayed behind with Dwight Howard and James Harden—both of whom were part of the presentation—according to Yahoo Sports’ Marc J. Spears, presumably to discuss things like tailored clothes, bad haircuts, erupting volcanos, libido-enhancers, ranch-flavored hot dogs and, yeah, I guess some free agency too:
Carmelo Anthony spent about 10 minutes talking privately to Houston Rockets All-Stars Dwight Howard and James Harden during the second stop of Anthony’s free-agency tour on Wednesday.
The New York Knicks free-agent forward spent about six hours in a meeting with the Rockets that began late Wednesday morning, a source told Yahoo Sports. Anthony visited the Chicago Bulls a day earlier and also has visits with the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday evening and the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday before speaking with the Knicks, sources said. The Rockets’ meeting was led by general manager Daryl Morey and coach Kevin McHale.
Anthony gave off the impression that it would be hard for him to leave New York, but reiterated that winning was his priority, a source said.
Ten minutes isn’t a long time usually. In covert-NBA-superstar-huddles, though, it’s forever. The troika could have talked about everything and anything. Howard and Harden could have said something that swings Anthony’s free-agency decision, thus shaking the very infirm foundation upon which the NBA’s balance of power is already built. That could have happened.
Or, of course, this could have been an innocent meeting between friends. We don’t really know. That’s the point of closed-door meetings. They take place behind, you know, closed doors.
Nosey Nancys wondering if this was, in fact, a game-changing get-together have no reason to stop wiping their asses in extreme protest. There’s a stronger than strong chance Melo has yet to make up his mind. He’s only met with the Bulls and Dallas Mavericks thus far. He still has the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks to go.
Where he signs at this point is anyone’s guess. He’s shown a reluctance to leave New York, but Chicago rolled out the red carpet for him and Houston is just as intriguing, perhaps even more so because of the potential to form a Big Four with Chandler Parsons (though you could say the same about Taj Gibson in Chicago).
It’s still early, though. Melo won’t be rendering a decision before the weekend. That’s the earliest he’ll decide, when he’s had at least 12-24 hours to digest everything he’s heard, along with those free five-star meals he’s probably being treated too.
If and when he does decide, we’ll all know. It won’t be a partially-leaked secret. It will be common knowledge. For now, make of all the various intel what you will. Go crazy. Run wild. Streaking through the quad is discouraged, but not totally out of the question.
Or you can play it smart.
Wait the chatter out. Endure. Dismiss anything and everything you hear until you know the facts. Which you will.
Eventually.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com.
