The Carmelo Anthony sweepstakes are likely to be on hold when the season starts. There have been rumors of Anthony heading to the Houston Rockets for months now, but no movement is expected until the season begins.

Anthony will be a Knick when the season starts

According to Ian Begley of ESPN, there has been not a lot of movement lately. He reports that the Knicks will likely have to deal Anthony when the season is in progress. The Houston Rockets have been looking for a third team to help facilitate the trade. However, there seems to be little luck.

The Portland Trail Blazers have been linked for quite some time, but that seems to have fizzled. After Anthony has been reluctant to waive his no-trade clause for the team, Portland has basically backed out.

Everything boils down to the contract of Ryan Anderson. The Rockets cannot afford Anderson and Anthony on the same roster. The Rockets want to bring Anthony to the team to pair him up with a good friend and point guard Chris Paul, as well as MVP runner-up James Harden. The team believes that a trio of Paul, Harden, and Anthony could dethrone the Golden State Warriors.

The Milwaukee Bucks were once rumored as a potential third party according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. However, that fizzled as the Bucks are trying to shed salary.

The team doesn't want to take on Anderson's contract of three-years and $20 million.

What New York wants

The Knicks want a young player, a draft pick or expiring contract in return for Anthony. The Knicks are a long rebuilding project. The team has a combined $50 million wrapped up in Tim Hardaway Jr., Joakim Noah, and Courtney Lee in 2019-2020.

When Portland was involved, possible names were Maurice Harkless and Meyers Leonard. Now, it's unclear who would be involved.

Awkward start to season

The Knicks released their promotions for season tickets. The funny part about it was that Anthony was not on the fliers. Of course, Kristaps Porzingis was on, but most assumed that with Anthony left off, he would be traded by now.

Knowing the Knicks want to get rid of him is going to make it strange as he enters the season. However, Anthony has been upbeat about the process. He has made comments about how he is not bothered by the drama surrounding him. All in all, if Anthony can secure a trip to Houston, and contend for his first ever ring, play with one of his best friends, and get out of a place that doesn't want him, it will all be worth it.