Carmelo Anthony says Dwight Howard 'tried extremely hard' to recruit him

The Houston Rockets have the league's second-best defense through 13 games. Imagine if they had one of the league's best scorers to help lift the offense, too.

That was something the Rockets tried to make a reality this offseason, as they were one of a handful of teams who were thought to have a reasonable chance at signing Carmelo Anthony. Ultimately, Anthony stayed with the New York Knicks, a decision influenced by the collective bargaining agreement, business interests and surely a number of other factors.

It's interesting to think how Anthony would look as a small-ball four alongside Dwight Howard, though. Anthony himself admits to having been intrigued by the possibility, in large part because of Howard's recruiting efforts:

All that stuff was intriguing, all that stuff I took a real good look at. The weather, the tax situation, things that come along with being here in Houston. I took a deep look at it.
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We had some great dialogue back and forth. I talked to him. We talked about some things. Ultimately it came down to what I really felt and really wanted at that moment. We had some contact and conversations. He tried. He tried extremely hard. It didn’t have anything to do with Dwight or James [Harden]. It came down to my own personal decision.

Anthony's five-year deal with the Knicks can't be evaluated so early into year one, but the grass certainly looks greener in Houston a month in. The Rockets are 10-3 and a near lock to make noise in the playoffs, while the Knicks are 4-10 and seem a tenuous bet to even make the playoffs in the weaker Eastern Conference.

The Knicks take on the Rockets on Monday, but Howard and Anthony won't get a chance to square off, with the former sidelined by a knee injury.