Getty Anthony Davis (right) of the Lakers
After an offseason filled with uncertainty, the Brooklyn Nets can put all the drama and headlines behind them as they prepare to head to training camp on September 27. At one point, it looked as if the Nets were heading towards a full rebuild, with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant’s futures in Brooklyn being uncertain. However, despite all that has transpired within the franchise over the past few months, the Nets find themselves in an ideal position.
Brooklyn will finally debut their All-Star trifecta of Irving, Durant, and Ben Simmons and are now looking to fill out their roster as they inch toward their season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans on October 19.
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Nets Halt Pursuit of Carmelo Anthony
Earlier in September, Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson of Bally Sports reported that the Nets were high on the list of suitors pursuing 10-time All-Star veteran Carmelo Anthony. The insider also noted the free agent forward had mutual interest because of his desire to be close to his son.
“Carmelo Anthony has had a desire to be in NYC to be close to his son, Kiyan Anthony’s progress,” Robinson tweeted on September 2. “The youngest Anthony is entering his sophomore year at Christ The King High School in Queens, NY. Carmelo Anthony maintains a residence in Manhattan”
However, in a dramatic turn of events, the insider is now reporting that the Nets have decelerated their pursuit of the former Lakers forward, citing that Brooklyn’s front office is looking to round out their roster this season with ‘a vocal leader’.
“Carmelo Anthony’s name has not been talked about more recently in Nets land, I’m told,” Scoop B tweeted on September 22. “It was phrased to me that: “Nets are looking for a vocal leader in the locker room.”
Carmelo Anthony’s name has not been talked about more recently in Nets land, I’m told.
It was phrased to me that: “Nets are looking for a vocal leader in the locker room.”
Warriors Named Potential Destination for Carmelo
As an All-NBA forward, 10-time All-Star, and scoring champion, Carmelo has a well-decorated NBA career. But one thing that has eluded him is winning his first NBA title. Of the star-studded 2003 NBA draft class that was highlighted by himself, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James, he is the only one of the four, to never reach an NBA Finals, let alone win a championship.
And at 38 years old, the window for him to win his first ring is closing rapidly. The defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors could be a potential landing spot for Anthony, which would unquestionably give him his best chance to win a title.
“It would be a nice story if he could win a ring there to end his career,”one NBA GM said to Heavy Sports in July.
“Golden State has the room for him. He can make shots, and they can hide up his defense, which is one of the big problems with adding him. He’d take the minimum. They have a lot of young guys on that roster, they could do with another veteran, and those guys all know Carmelo from Team USA. I do not know if they would really take that plunge on him, but it does make some sense.”
The Nets will have a lot of young players on their roster this season, including Cam Thomas, Day’Ron Sharpe, and Nicolas Claxton. Anthony has played in the New York City market, and being a 20-year veteran could bode well for him being a mentor to Brooklyn’s younger players.