Carmelo Anthony played the last two seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers, respectively, confirming that he’s still a valuable player in the league after spending a year without a team. Melo bounced back in Portland, showing his quality once again, which earned him a chance with the Purple and Gold.
He couldn’t win the title with the Lakers last season, but that doesn’t mean he’ll stop trying. Melo apparently has many options to continue his career, but obviously, he wants to be in the best position to compete for the Larry O’Brien trophy.
This offseason, Anthony could make a return to the East Coast, as the two teams in New York are reportedly interested in acquiring his services. The New York Knicks president of basketball operations wants to reunite with Melo at Madison Square Garden, while the Brooklyn Nets want to add his veteran presence next season.
Via Heavy:
“They’re considering it, a lot of teams are. He shot the ball well and he is a minimum (contract) guy. Every team is going to talk about him ahead of free agency. It would be a surprise. It would not be something that Thibs wants. He was not crazy about the Kemba Walker thing, but the Knicks had it as a homecoming thing and a good story but you saw how that worked out. So you bring in Melo and he is a defensive liability, Thibs does not play him, and all of a sudden, that becomes the story, just like with Kemba,” an Eastern Conference executive told Sean Deveney.
If Melo doesn’t sign with the Knicks, he could still be coming back to New York. However, this time Anthony would find himself playing for his hometown Brooklyn Nets.
“Melo needs to go to a better team (than the Knicks) where he is not a distraction. If he leaves L.A., Brooklyn is a lot more of a possibility. Remember, he almost went there once before. Kevin Durant wanted him to come, and the team said no. The way things have gone there, as much BS as he put up with last year, it might be time to do something KD wants. So if Durant still wants Melo, I don’t see how the Nets pass on that,” the Eastern Conference executive continued.
Given how well Melo has played in the past two seasons, becoming a solid player coming off the bench and keeping his pace beyond the 3-point line, it’s not a surprise that many franchises want to acquire his services. Anthony can still contribute to a contender team and win that elusive title that he’s been chasing for so long.
