Getty Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Anthony could actually find his way to a basketball court.
Perhaps even as early as this summer.
According to SB Nation: NBA All Stars such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard, Russell Westbrook, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, James Harden, Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal will all be unavailble to participate in Team USA’s Basketball later this summer.
As a result, they are lacking huge names who will defend USA’s FIBA World Title.
SB Nation’s Mike Prada also suggests that Carmelo Anthony should rep team USA.
He draws on Melo being Team USA’s all-time leading scorer while playing in 85 international games for the red white and blue and his ability to hit three pointers.
Anthony hasn’t played NBA basketball since November 8, 2018, in a game against his former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder. A 10-time NBA All-Star, Anthony signed with the Houston Rockets this summer after clearing waivers in a trade that shipped him from the Thunder to the Atlanta Hawks.
He still has something left in the tank.
“His first year in the league, he took a 17-win Nuggets team to the Playoffs in the West as a rookie,” said Fox Sports’ Chris Broussard.
“He is one of the best 300 players in the world that’s not playing,” TNT’s Kenny Smith told me in April.
“You can’t say he’s not one of the best 300 players.”
“I don’t know if they remember how good of a player he was and still is,” Blake Griffin told Landon Buford last season.
“Sometimes it’s the situation. It sucks to see as a basketball player to see people act [as if] he is something [that] he is not.”
While he’s been away from the game, he’s been spending a ton of time going to his son, Kiyan’s basketball games.
“He’s a great player,” New York Knick, Lance Thomas told me in December.
“He’s a great teammate, most importantly he’s a great human being and he’s always been a great advocate for the NBA as a brand. So I just want him to get back on a team and play the sport he loves that’s paved a way for him and his family, and he just loves to play basketball, so I really want him back on a team.”
Meanwhile in the NBA, the Golden State Warriors a potential intrigue of Anthony’s.
The Warriors could use some roster help after the departure of Kevin Durant via summer free agency.
It is also believed that Klay Thompson will miss most of next season while recovering from a torn ACL.
Anthony would be a cheap veteran that is a reliable spot-up shooter off of the bench.
D’Angelo Russell could assume point guard duties with Steph Curry switching to the shooting guard position.
Russell believes that the Warriors will move off of many screen and rolls playing alongside Curry.
“I think it’s an advantage on offense when you have multiple guys on offense that can do everything,” Russell said recently on NBA TV.
The third overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, it is believed by some that Anthony could end up joining the Lakers.
The Lakers and Anthony had mutual interests toward the end of last season — until a mound of LA losses occurred.
“I think next season a team will possibly bring him in,” NBA Hall of Famer, Grant Hill told me.
The Lakers do have one final roster spot. The Lakers had quite a busy offseason.
Six players returned from last season.
That list includes: LeBron James, Kyle Kuzma, JaVale McGee, Rajon Rondo, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso.
Lakers newcomers include: Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, Danny Green, Avery Bradley, Jared Dudley, Quinn Cook, Troy Daniels and rookie Talen Horton-Tucker.
The Lakers also have a new head coach in Frank Vogel and assistant coach in Jason Kidd.
Could Melo bring anything to an NBA team?
“His first year in the league, he took a 17-win Nuggets team to the Playoffs in the West as a rookie,” said Fox Sports’ Chris Broussard.
“He is one of the best 300 players in the world that’s not playing,” TNT’s Kenny Smith told me in April.
“You can’t say he’s not one of the best 300 players.”