OKLAHOMA CITY — Carmelo Anthony is done in Oklahoma City.

A person with knowledge of the details told The Associated Press the Thunder are sending Anthony and a 2022 protected first-round pick to Atlanta in exchange for Hawks guard Dennis Schroder and Mike Muscala. Anthony will be waived by the Hawks, clearing the way for him to sign as a free agent elsewhere. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the situation publicly.

ESPN, which first reported the trade, said the Thunder will send Muscala to the Philadelphia 76ers for Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, and Philadelphia’s Justin Anderson will be sent to Atlanta.

Schroder, a speedy 6-foot-1 guard, averaged a career-high 19.4 points last season for the Hawks in 67 games, all starts.

Anthony’s lone season in Oklahoma City was largely a bust. He averaged 16.2 points and struggled at times in his new role alongside Russell Westbrook and Paul George. The 10-time All-Star posted career lows in scoring average and field goal percentage, and the Thunder were ousted in the first round of the playoffs by Utah.

The 34-year-old Anthony had been the headliner his entire career – he’s 19th in NBA history with 25,417 points – but he was more of a catch-and-shoot scorer last season instead of the isolation specialist he had always been. His playing time dwindled in the playoffs. In Game 6 of the first-round series against Utah that ended Oklahoma City’s season, he played fewer minutes than reserve Jerami Grant. After the season, he said he prefers to play with the ball in his hands more and said coming off the bench is “out of the question.”

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HAWKS: The Hawks requested waivers on guard Jaylen Morris, who appeared in six games with the team last season.

BULLS: Chicago signed guard Antonio Blakeney to a contract.

Undrafted out of LSU in 2017, Blakeney signed a two-way deal with the Bulls and averaged 7.9 points in 19 games while splitting time between Chicago and the G League’s Windy City Bulls.

NUGGETS: Rookie forward Michael Porter Jr. has undergone back surgery and there is no timetable for his return.

Porter was taken with the 14th overall pick in the June draft. He was considered a top-five selection before a back injury that required surgery limited him to three games at Missouri in 2017-18.

Porter was hampered by back and hip soreness during predraft workouts. But the Nuggets felt his talent was worth the risk, with Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly saying at the time: “You have to take a swing at guys like that.


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