Getty Carmelo Anthony, who could potentially sign with the Golden State Warriors.
While the Golden State Warriors are fresh off of an NBA title run that saw them take home their fourth championship in eight years, they still have some retooling to do. Their core players are all set to return to the team, but they lost some guys around the edges.
Gary Payton II signed with the Portland Trail Blazers, Otto Porter Jr. signed with the Toronto Raptors, and Nemanja Bjlecia left to play overseas, signing with Turkish club Fenerbahce. Golden State signed Donte DiVincenzo and JaMychal Green as replacements, but they could still use some more depth.
One player who stands out as a potential option is Carmelo Anthony. In an interview with Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Steve Kerr said that Green should be able to replace both Porter and Bjelica, but having Anthony around would mean that he doesn’t have to.
Anthony’s game is somewhat comparable to Bjelica’s at this point in his career. He’s not a great defender but has managed to turn himself into an elite three-point shooter. The veteran could easily step into the role Bjelica played for the Warriors, taking some of the future load off of Green.
This idea has been brought up before. Max Dible of Heavy.com wrote an article on the subject not too long ago, detailing a conversation Sean Deveney of Heavy.com had with an NBA GM.
Warriors Listed as Top Landing Spot
According to the GM who Deveney spoke with, Anthony would be a perfect fit in Golden State. The way they play would suit his game very well and vice versa.
“It would be a nice story if he could win a ring there to end his career,” the GM told Deveney. “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.”
This past season for the Los Angeles Lakers, Anthony was one of the better sixth men in the league. In 69 games played for the Lakers last year, Anthony averaged 13.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.0 assists on 44.1% shooting from the field and 37.5% shooting from behind the three-point line on 2.2 three-point attempts per contest.
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report also brought up the idea of Anthony joining the Warriors.
Anthony’s Shooting Fits Warriors
As written up by Ryan Aston of Heavy.com, Buckley noted that Anthony’s shooting would fit in beautifully with Golden State’s playstyle.
“He is primarily a spacer at this stage, but he can still create offense in a pinch against second-team defenses.
“Most of his makes were of the catch-and-shoot variety (1.9 per game, per NBA.com), and that skill could shine brilliantly in Golden State’s motion attack.
“The Warriors generated the third-most catch-and-shoot threes this past season (27.3), and having a sharpshooter like Anthony on the receiving end of those passes could up the offense’s potency,” Buckley wrote.
As the offseason drags on, the Warriors should seriously consider adding Anthony to the roster.
