Gett Carmelo Anthony and Anthony Davis watch from the bench during a bout between the LA Lakers and the Denver Nuggets.
The Golden State Warriors look to have landed another veteran bench piece to aid in their title defense next season. After agreeing to a contract buyout with the Oklahoma City Thunder, forward JaMychal Green is headed to the Bay Area, per ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski.
That’s not the only move the Warriors have made in recent days, either, as the team is also set to add summer-league standout Mac McClung to a training camp deal, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
While the back end of Golden State’s roster is suddenly filling up, the team could probably use another veteran hand with scoring chops to boost the second unit. To that end, Bleacher Report‘s Zach Buckley is pitching a future Hall of Famer as a veteran’s minimum option.
Namely, 10-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony.
Melo’s Secret Weapon
After a rough couple of years in OKC and Houston, Anthony settled into a nice spot as a microwave bench scorer with the Portland Trail Blazers and LA Lakers. Last season, the 38-year-old averaged 13.3 points and 4.2 rebounds over 69 appearances for LeBron and Co. He also knocked down 37.5% of his shots from three-point range.
While those are solid numbers in and of themselves, the way in which Melo got his buckets is the bigger selling point for the Warriors.
Via Buckley:
Most of [Anthony’s] 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.
Offense isn’t the only thing that Anthony would bring to the Bay, though.
The latest Golden State Warriors news straight to your inbox! Heavy on Warriors newsletter here!
The Vet
In addition to being an offensive sparkplug off the bench, Anthony has also reached a point where he now has value as an elder statesman in the locker room. The New York Post‘s Marc Berman pointed this out in his own pitch for the Knicks to bring the baller back to the Big Apple.
“Over the course of 19 NBA seasons, Anthony has learned all the do’s and don’ts. Who better than Anthony to tutor RJ Barrett on how to handle being a star player in New York?” the Knicks insider wrote.
“Wouldn’t someone who has lasted as long as he has because of his love of the game, not just his talent, be a positive influence on youngsters such as Immanuel Quickley, fellow Brooklynite Obi Toppin and Cam Reddish, the enigma who plays Anthony’s position at combo forward?”
It’s not difficult to envision him playing a similar role with Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman and Moses Moody.
READ NEXT: