USA TODAY — Carmelo Anthony's time with the Oklahoma City Thunder hasn't gone according to plan.
His inaugural season is over much sooner than expected following Friday night's Game 6 loss to Utah. He averaged below 20 points per game (16.2) for the first time in his 15-year career and posted career lows in field goal percentage, field goal attempts, assists, minutes and usage.
So when he was asked about his role and his future during Saturday's exit interviews in Oklahoma City, the future Hall of Famer's frustrations were obvious.
"I think the player that they wanted me to be and needed me to be was for the sake of this season," Anthony said. "Everything was just thrown together and it wasn't anything that was planned out. Wasn't no strategy to me being here, me being a part of the actual system and what type of player and things like that."
Anthony, 33, was traded to the Thunder in late September, just days before the start of training camp, and things never seemed to truly click for the 10-time All-Star alongside Russell Westbrook and Paul George. In addition to his regular-season struggles, Anthony saw his role diminish even more in the postseason — namely in Game 5, when he sat for a large chunk of Oklahoma City's massive comeback victory.
Anthony can opt out of the $28 million he's owed on the final year of his contract and explore other options this summer, though it's long been expected that he's going to stay in Oklahoma City.
Still, when the idea of sacrifice — whether it be playing time, salary or a shift to a bench role — was raised Saturday, Anthony didn't mince words.
"I'm not sacrificing no bench role," Anthony said. "That's out the question. ... I think everybody knows that I've sacrificed kind of damn near everything — family, moving here by myself. Sacrificed my game for the sake of the team, and was willing to sacrifice any and everything in order for this situation to work out.
"It's something I really have to think about if I really want to be this type of player and finish out my career as this type of player knowing that I have so much left in the tank and I bring so much to the game of basketball."
