Still without a contract, Carmelo Anthony is currently part of the long list of free agents who have not yet found takers. Which teams seem most likely to welcome the tenfold All-Star?
Almost a month after the start of the Free Agency, Carmelo Anthony still does not know what uniform he will put on at the start of the school year… A rather rare scenario for a player of his caliber. Last year, he signed for the Lakers 24 hours after the market opened. This year ? Radio silence. As we mentioned three weeks ago, no information leaked around the future of Melo. Will he return to the Lakers? Go back to the Knicks? Hang up the sneakers? Does he take his time to choose his destination or does he lack offers? Good luck finding out the answer. Media’s Sean Deveney Heavy therefore went to ask a General Manager of the League, it remains to be seen which one since he of course remained anonymous, to give him his feelings on the Carmelo Anthony file. For the latter, a track still seems to hold the rope, the one leading to a return to the Lakers.
“They obviously have a lot to sort out. But as things fall into place, they’ll probably come back to him to bring him in. It’s just that at this point you don’t know what might happen with Westbrook and if you might need to take any players. You see that a lot around the league. The teams have 10, 11, 12 players signed and there’s no rush to fill the last spots until you see how other things go. »
Returning to the Lakers and continuing to play with his pal LeBron James makes sense, but other avenues remain open for the winger. Impossible not to mention the old sea serpent New York to come full circle at Madison Square Garden. Big Apple, Melo could also come back with a jersey… black. Steve Bulpett, another Heavy insider, recalled that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving had already tried to recruit number 7 in 2019 but the Nets management had not followed suit. Finally the right time three years later? Given Brooklyn’s finances, it is in any case a quality / price ratio that makes sense for Sean Marks. Speaking of finances in the red, another name has recently returned to the media and it will be talked about: the Warriors. Having lost several players from the bench (Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr, Nemanja Bjelica, Juan Toscano-Anderson) and especially on the wings, Golden State is looking for lower cost reinforcements to strengthen the team. Why not Carmelo Anthony? Although his defense is still a problem, he has proven again this season that he remains an outstanding forward and he has saved the Lakers several times with hot shots or decisive shots. At the Chase Center, he could come to reinforce the second unit and finally get the ring he has been coveting for so long. For the GM questioned by Heavyit is in any case a track to keep in mind.
“It would be a great story, if he could win a ring there to end his career. Golden State has the place for him. He can take shots and they can hide his defense, which is one of the big problems in integrating him. He would take the minimum. They have a lot of youngsters on this roster, they could do with another veteran and these guys all know Carmelo from Team USA [il a joué avec Green et Thompson aux JO 2016, ndlr]. I don’t know if they’ll take a chance on him, but it makes sense. »
Which team for Carmelo Anthony next season? Continuity with the Lakers? Back to the Knicks? Betrayal at the neighbor Nets? Splash Melo at the Warriors? Place your bets !
Source texte : Heavy / Sean Deveney et Steve Bulpett