In 2012, for a few shining moments in London, Carmelo Anthony was "Olympic Melo." That version of Anthony resurfaced, albeit temporarily, in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. It's an iteration NBA teams have considered and hoped to see play out in the NBA for years. 

But the Denver Nuggets could never find it. The New York Knicks hunted high and low, even after the sighting in 2012. The Oklahoma City Thunder likely thought they traded for it, hoping Russell Westbrook could bring the inner Olympian out of Anthony. But no. 

As the Thunder plan to part ways with Anthony, rumors are swirling regarding his next destination, and the Houston Rockets are at the top of the list.

Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports reported: 

And newly re-signed point guard Chris Paul is leading the charge, per Yahoo Sports' Jordan Schultz. Therein may lie the hope of seeing Olympic Melo once more. 

That's in part because Paul led Team USA during peak Olympic Melo. Is it possible the pair could work the same kind of magic? And how would reigning MVP James Harden fit?

A Better Fit with Paul

While Anthony was good in catch-and-shoots last season with a 54.3 effective field-goal percentage, he shot pull-up jumpers on 39.1 percent of his attempts, and he sported a 42.4 percent effective field-goal percentage on such shots. Paul can change that dynamic. 

The pair is a great fit stylistically. They both prefer to play a measured pace. 

Paul likes to probe a defense while yo-yoing the ball on his dribble, jab-stepping in and out, directing potential shooters, manipulating defenses and maneuvering chess pieces. 

The primary difference between Olympic Melo and NBA Melo probably comes down to his willingness to play off the ball instead of holding onto it, which allows defenses to collapse on him.

Olympic Melo put himself into positions to get the shot off before he got the ball. That's where his fit with Paul is perfect. 

What About Harden?

Coach Mike D'Anton told Bleacher Report in October he split them so there was "a Hall of Fame point guard on the floor for 48 minutes." And he wasn't lying; Harden and Paul only shared the court 19.8 minutes per game last season.

Anthony wouldn't have to play with Harden and Paul exclusively, nor should they. Harden and Anthony play alongside one another could hurt the defense. 

Harden was much-improved on that end last year, but that was largely because he switched onto power forwards frequently. His strength and 6'10 ¾" wingspan helped give him a measure of competence. Because of his quick hands and ability to snatch balls mid-dribble, there were times he was even a positive defensive factor. 

Harden doesn't have the lateral foot speed to be a good—or even average—wing defender. Like the MVP, Anthony can be hidden while guarding the 4. But you can't have both wings do that.

If Anthony goes to Houston, expect him to spend the majority of his minutes with Paul, or with Harden as the 1 and Eric Gordon as the 2. 

All Three

There's a fundamental difference in the way Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Westbrook tends to collapse defenses, which limits Anthony's game. Harden can either kick it out, lead Anthony to the rim, or drop a bounce pass for a smooth mid-range jumper.

Add in Gordon and Clint Capela, should the restricted free agent re-sign (or even Ryan Anderson or PJ Tucker to play the 5), and you could have an unstoppable offensive force. 

The Rockets often struggled to generate points when threes weren't falling. The most famous example came during the historic cold streak of the 2018 Western Conference Finals when they missed 27 straight threes in a Game 7 loss to the Golden State Warriors.

When Paul, their sole mid-range scorer, was sidelined the last two games with a pulled hamstring, the Rockets couldn't buy points in the clutch. Anthony could help answer those questions. 

Granted, he declined last year. He was below-average as a post-up scorer, averaging just 0.84 points per possession, which ranked in the 44th percentile. 

That's indicative of the relative lack of spacing the Thunder had. They were 15th in made threes per game, and over half came from Paul George or Anthony. Melo's best season (based on career highs in points, player efficiency rating and win shares) came with the New York Knicks in 2012-13—a team that set a then-NBA season record 891 threes. 

That mark has since been shattered. But the Rockets, who made 1,256 three-pointers last season, are the new record holder. That could mean great things for Anthony. 

Surrounded by myriad shooters, he should get the ball with more space. He should get more mismatches, too. All of that should mean his efficiency will go up. 

All along, an Olympic Melo appearance has necessitated the perfect situation. With Paul running the offense and the Rockets playing a five-out offense, Houston would cater perfectly to his strengths. 

When the Rockets go small, he'll get arguably his best opportunity to prove his wares, even if he isn't the same player. 

As a pseudo-starter who runs most of his minutes with Paul, Anthony could be a positive force, and if he's not, his expected nominal price makes it worth the risk.

Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball Reference unless otherwise noted.