NBA Daily: What’s Next for Carmelo Anthony?

What’s next for Carmelo Anthony? A Kobe-esque farewell tour seems highly unlikely, as does playing into his 40s like Vince Carter. In fact, it is unclear if he will ever play another game in the NBA. However, while he’s viewed as a challenging player to integrate into a team, he’s also still better than a lot of players in the league. But will he get the opportunity to go out on his terms or has years of iso-ball done too much damage to the former NCAA champion, Allstar and scoring champ’s reputation?

Let’s start by examining how we arrived at a place where a former top-10 talent is deemed toxic.

Carmelo Anthony was dealt from the Knicks to the Thunder prior to the 2017-18 season. Oklahoma City was a poor match for the former scoring champion. Melo found himself relegated to a catch-and-shoot role on a team that featured two younger and more versatile players.

The season was bumpy, but it came to a head in Game 5 of the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs. With the Thunder down 3-1 and facing elimination, Anthony was benched for Jerami Grant. According to ESPN’s Royce Young, “(Melo) was seen begging assistant Mo Cheeks to come back in, and finally got his wish with 7:58 left in the fourth.” Despite regaining the lead in his absence, the Jazz retook the lead with Anthony on the court. He was benched again. Following the Thunder’s eventual elimination, Anthony remarked, “I’m not sacrificing no bench role (next season), so you can – that’s out of the question.”

The Thunder no longer viewed Anthony as a legitimate starter and were concerned his impact on their salary cap, so they traded him to the Atlanta Hawks prior to the 2018-19 season. But the Hawks only wanted Anthony for cap relief and they bought out Anthony’s contract. Anthony later signed with the Rockets – a team he was rumored to be interested in joining prior to 2017-18. But the Rockets were another poor match for his talents.

Anthony played in only 10 games with the Rockets. It was another bad pairing, with Anthony in another supplemental role behind James Harden and Chris Paul. There was also baggage between Anthony and Rockets’ Coach Mike D’Antonio from their time together in New York. But both said they’d put their disagreements behind them.

“I think now, things have changed, and everybody is playing the same way. I think it’s a lot better fit and I think we have a really good chance to be really good,” D’Antonio told Sam Amick prior to the start of the season.

Despite the positivity, Anthony’s time in Houston was short lived.

Which brings us to the present. Anthony hasn’t played in a game since November 8. He is 34 years old. The Rockets must waive him by March 1 for him to be eligible for a playoff roster. Anthony is a ball-stopper who many believe hinders locker room chemistry. While he is seemingly difficult to work into a locker room, the narrative around him has ballooned out of control.

Yes, Anthony requires the ball to be effective, which is slightly detrimental given his dated style of play, but he can still score the basketball –  Anthony scored 13.4 points in approximately 29 minutes per game on 40.5 percent shooting. He, like many stars before him, required a specific team around him to be successful. His next move must be the right one because it could very possibly be his last shot in the NBA.

So where might Anthony land? Let’s examine a few of the best fits for Anthony’s talents.

1. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers are an obvious choice because of the presence of Anthony’s good friend, LeBron James. James clearly prefers Anthony join him in L.A.

“I mean, listen, it’s just my opinion, but it’s not like I lit a fire in anybody’s ass. It’s just my opinion,”  James said recently in an interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols. “People ask me questions, ‘Hey, how do you feel …’ and you know, I think it would it be great to have Carmelo Anthony be on the Lakers. I believe Melo can still play the game. I believe I can help Melo. I know Melo better than Melo knows himself at times, and vice versa. So, if the opportunity presents itself, I would welcome it. That’s what it all boils down to.”

James runs a tight ship and Anthony is well versed in James’ habits and preferences having played on the Olympics together numerous times. If Anthony were to join the Lakers, it would likely follow a series of conversations between the two about Anthony’s role – which would probably consist of coming off the bench to lead the second unit.

Unfortunately for Melo,  according to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers “have no interest” in acquiring Anthony. The report also added that Anthony had called the Lakers a while back to gauge their interest level. But the Lakers may struggle in the short-term with James out due to a groin strain. Can we all at least agree that Melo to L.A. would be the most fun?

2. Miami HEAT

The HEAT are the most logical destination for Anthony. The HEAT shares the scoring burden with essentially eight players averaging double figures. But on the whole, the HEAT are 25^thoverall in scoring per game. And with Goran Dragic out indefinitely (knee), the HEAT can use the added punch Anthony could offer.

Further, Anthony’s good friend Dwyane Wade is a member of the HEAT and could help Anthony navigate the HEAT’s locker room. And with the HEAT at 18-18 and in sole possession of the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, adding another veteran weapon could help for a team that is one more injury away from falling out of the Eastern Conference Playoff picture.

3. Detroit Pistons

The Pistons are in need of help. Like the HEAT, the Pistons struggle to score the basketball; they are only one spot ahead of the HEAT at 24^thin the league. And they are badly in need of scoring from the wing position – Glen Robinson III and Stanley Johnson combine to score just under 14 points per game.

And the Pistons are in a similar spot to the HEAT as far as their record is concerned. They are currently 17-19 and in the eighth seed of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Anthony is far from a sure thing in terms of adding wins (his win share this season was .3 – for comparison’s sake, Anthony Davis leads the league with 6.7). However, the Pistons have little to lose, especially on a deal that only runs through the end of the 2018-19 season. And with Blake Griffin’s injury history, adding some backup firepower can’t hurt.

4. San Antonio Spurs

While the Spurs are probably the least obvious choice on this list, they shouldn’t be. Coach Gregg Popovich derives universal respect from his players, which is the most important element of Melo to San Antonio. Popovich is revered for his system and approach to the game – even if he did recently speak poorly the three-point shot. Playing for Popovich could extend Anthony’s career – much like it did for Pau Gasol, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker – and result in a renaissance of sorts for the 34-year old former Allstar.

What’s more, the Spurs could use some extra firepower. The Spurs are currently seventh in the Western Conference standings at 21-17 with the Grizzlies and the Jazz both within striking distance. Further, the Spurs are a middle-of-the-pack offensive team; they are ranked 13^th at 111.5 points per game. And while they’re shooting a league-best 39.7 percent from downtown, they are doing so on a league-worst 24.4 attempts per game – something Anthony would surely help with.

This is clearly a big risk, big reward move. However, the Spurs will struggle to score against the upper echelon of the Western Conference come the playoffs without getting a little creative.

5. Washington Wizards

While Washington may not be a great fit, there is logic behind Anthony heading to Washington. Anthony was raised in Baltimore, which is a relatively short trip from Washington, D.C. and with John Wall done for the season and rumors flying about the Wizards looking to rebuild, Anthony would provide scoring for a Wizards team looking to remain relevant. Anthony would get to come home and possibly start for the remainder of the season in a low-pressure environment. Sure, he wants to land on a playoff team, but his reputation is probably too diminished to be picky at this point in time.

However, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times, the Wizards are not interested in adding Carmelo Anthony. But that stance could change as we approach the trade deadline and the reality of the remaining four months of the regular season without John Wall sets in.