Carmelo Anthony officially inks deal with Houston Rockets after clearing waivers

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The Rockets added another all-star to the mix. Carmelo Anthony has agreed to a deal with the organization.

Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted, "Welcome to the Houston Rockets," Monday afternoon. The team signed Anthony to a 1-year deal.

Anthony was involved in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Atlanta Hawks, sending Anthony to Atlanta. He was waived by the team and then cleared waivers, clearing the way for him to come to Houston for the $2.4 million veteran's minimum.

This will be the fourth stop in Anthony's career. He's had previous tenures with the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder. Anthony has only reached the Conference Finals once in his career, back in 2009 with the Nuggets.

Anthony has a long list of accolades in his NBA career. He is a 10x All-Star and was the scoring champion in 2013. Anthony has averaged above 25 PPG eight times in his 16-year career. He is 19th on the NBA's all-time scoring list with 25,417 career points.

There will be some familiarity with Anthony and the Rockets. The two were linked throughout numerous offseasons as the Rockets made their interest in Anthony known. He will unite with longtime friend Chris Paul, as the two are part of the "banana boat." Anthony has also been a teammate of Harden's in Olympic play, where Anthony has three gold medals.

Anthony will also reunite with head coach Mike D'Antoni. The two were together for a short stint with the New York Knicks. A rough relationship between the two led to D'Antoni's resignation from the organization. One would hope the two can reconcile and forget about their time in The Big Apple.

While Anthony has some of the greatest scoring seasons ever, he is not the same player at this stage of his career. He had career lows in numerous categories during his lone season with the Thunder. Some feel he may be more of a liability at this point rather than a positive contributor. Anthony spoke on his time with Oklahoma City and said it was simply an awkward fit.

It will be interesting to see what role Anthony has alongside Harden and Paul. The trio has worked together at a Lifetime in New York, and the chemistry looks to be there. Paul and Anthony have posted videos working out during the summer. If there is a good time to find chemistry and rhythm with new teammates, it is during the offseason and training camp.

Anthony has openly stated he will not accept a bench role with his new team. While he could have a change of heart after a conversation with Rockets' management, this will be an interesting storyline to follow. The Rockets could also opt to enter newly-signed James Ennis or Gerald Green into the starting small forward position. Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute both signed contracts elsewhere this offseason.

During his time with the U.S.A. National Team, Anthony was given the nickname "Olympic Melo." This was largely due to his ability to spot-up at the three-point line and knock down shots at an elite clip. Paul and Harden are arguably two of the best passers in the league and do a fantastic job of putting teammates in good positions. They both also have good ball placement on their passes, making it easy for others to stay in rhythm on their shots.

Adding more scoring is usually a positive for teams. Anthony works well in isolation and provides the Rockets with another player who can create for themselves alongside Paul and Harden. His passing is also an underrated attribute. If Anthony is all about ball movement and finding the best shot, the fit should be fine.

The defensive end could be a problem for Anthony, as he is joining one of the league's best defenses. Ariza and Mbah a Moute were both contributors to the improved defense, and both are now gone. While Anthony does not provide the defensive abilities like the duo, one can argue he is an offensive upgrade simply due to the ability to create for himself.

Also with Anthony is LaLa, who is an actress and New York Times best-selling author. She is currently the character of Lakeisha Grant on Power.

The Rockets could be an even better team from last season's 65-win squad if the fit with Anthony, Paul and Harden works. We now wait to see what is in store going forward.