After being unable to find a home with an NBA team, former All-Star and future Hall of Famer Dwight Howard recently made his debut with the Taoyuan Leopards of Taiwan's T1 League. He starred, accumulating 38 points, 25 rebounds, and nine assists, and was named the player of the game.
Because Howard moved over from the NBA to Taiwan, the belief was that other over-the-hill NBA stars would potentially join him in the nation. Isaiah Thomas, DeMarcus Cousins and Carmelo Anthony stand out as three big-name players who are currently free agents. However, according to a recent report, none of the trio is interested in playing basketball overseas.
Longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein wrote the following on his substack:
“While true that Taiwanese clubs have been chasing their signatures, league sources say that a trio of former All-Stars — Carmelo Anthony, DeMarcus Cousins and Isaiah Thomas — have thus far shown zero interest in following Dwight Howard to Taiwan. Sources stress that all three are determined to keep searching for their next NBA opportunity irrespective of any overseas interest.”
Anthony, 38, was by far the top performer of the three last season. In 69 games as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, he averaged 13.3 points on 37.5% shooting from three-point range. Most of his production came off the bench, too, as he started just three games on the year.
It's not out of the realm of possibility that Anthony, Cousins, and Thomas all find NBA homes before the season comes to a close, but it also seems pretty unlikely at this juncture.
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