One way or another, 38-year-old Carmelo Anthony looks to be headed back to ‘The Big Apple’ this summer.
In a chat with NBA insider Sean Deveney, one league executive revealed that the 10x All-Star could link up with the Nets or Knicks if he doesn’t return to the Lakers this offseason.
(via Heavy):
“They’re [the Knicks] 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 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.
Anthony is well past his prime at this stage of his career, but he can still be a valuable addition to whichever team he joins.
He shot the ball well in L.A., finishing with an average of 13.3 points on 44.1% shooting. That type of scoring can fit in just about anywhere. In Brooklyn, he’ll get the added bonus of playing in New York City and having the chance to win something serious.
