Report: Rockets will pursue Carmelo Anthony in offseason

Carmelo Anthony has been the subject of offseason speculation. (Elsa/Getty Images)

The Rockets will attempt to sign Carmelo Anthony this summer, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.

Houston would likely have to use a sign-and-trade with the Knicks to fit Anthony beneath the salary cap one year after adding center Dwight Howar, Berman's league source said.

The source said the Rockets asked the Knicks about Anthony before February’s trade deadline and had previous talks about Houston power forward Omer Asik. To add Anthony, Houston would need to rid itself of the expiring contracts of Asik and former Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin.

Anthony's future NBA home will likely depend on Phil Jackson's opinion of the All-Star if Jackson becomes the new new president of the Knicks, as has been reported.

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If the Rockets were successful, Anthony would share a backcourt with James Harden, who came to Houston in a 2012 blockbuster trade with the Thunder.

Rockets president Daryl Morey, a proponent of advanced statistics, reportedly likes the idea of Anthony in Houston despite the forward's statistical shortcomings:

Even though Rockets president Daryl Morey is the pioneer of advanced statistics and Anthony has never fared well in some efficiency categories, Morey’s old-school instincts believe he could form a terrific Big 3 with Dwight Howard and James Harden. Rockets management also believes Anthony has made advancements in the grit department the past two seasons.