Getty NBA free agent Carmelo Anthony watches play from the sidelines between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
Carmelo Anthony played ten basketball games last season as a member of the Houston Rockets before he was banished by the team.
But why?
“Melo plays if Melo wants to play,” Gilbert Arenas told NBA writer, Landon Buford.
“At 35, he has a bunch left in the tank, but is he willing to sacrifice what he perceives he still has versus what teams need? They might need a guy to come in and play spot minutes and he is still a guy that thinks he is a star.”
A 10-time NBA All-Star, Anthony has averaged 24.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists in his 16-year career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets.
In an interview with Taryn Finley of the Huffington Post, Melo suggested that he is at peace with the fact he may not play much longer. “I’m sure [retirement is] coming soon,” he said.
“I’d be sitting lying to you if I said it’s not coming soon. I think I want it to come soon. I don’t think I want to do this forever, but because you love it so much, it’s hard to give it up. At the end of the day, at anything you do, when it’s your time to go, it’s your time to go. But as long as you feel good with that.”
While Carmelo Anthony has been away from the game, he’s been spending a ton of time going to his son, Kiyan’s basketball games.
What’s next?
“Now, you have two realms of thought processes that need to meet in the middle,” Gilbert Arenas told Landon Buford.
“But the first person that must buy-in is Melo. Show that he can buy-in during the season versus saying, ‘Nah I’m not coming off anybody’s bench, I think I can’t still average 20.’ But you can still average 15 to 20. However, you must put yourself into position first to show them.”
the 35-year-old is waiting for the best deal to come around.
While he’s been away from the game, he’s been spending a ton of time going to his son, Kiyan’s basketball games.
The Lakers do have one final roster spot and many believe that Carmelo Anthony still has some game left in the tank to compete against many of the NBA’s elite.
The Lakers and Anthony had mutual interests toward the end of last season — until a mound of LA losses occurred.
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.
“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.”
Anthony has been working out with members of the Brooklyn Nets in Los Angeles.
According to a report by SNY’s Ian Begley and Anthony Puccio, Anthony and the Nets have participated in informal workouts.
Per Puccio and Begley: “It is unknown if the Nets are one of the teams that Anthony and his representatives have talked to about a potential signing. The club’s interest level in signing Anthony to a contract is also unknown.”
Melo to Brooklyn from a basketball standpoint makes sense.
The Nets have a potent roster with names like Caris LeVert, Joe Harris and Spencer Dinwiddie complimenting Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
The Nets will likely be without Durant this season as he recovers from a ruptured Achilles tendon.
“He could be a bench player asset to play and may be a good cheap replacement in a sense for KD this season,” Josh Hicks of Chicago’s Regal Radio suggested to me this afternoon.
Nonetheless, the Nets have a huge season ahead.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Nets center, Jarrett Allen told AM New York’s Derrel Jazz Johnson.
“I feel like I had a pretty good season last year. I have a lot to show them. I have a lot of knowledge in my mind that I can share with them.”
Shaquille O’Neal likes the new-look Nets because it gives New York something to talk about in hoops other than the New York Knicks.
“Jay-Z gave them a little steam when he said he was the owner,” Shaq told Scoop B Radio.
“He’s going to be there with KD so they should make a lot of noise. The only unfortunate part for the first time in New York history the Knicks aren’t the important team. That’s kind of funny to me.”