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As the date for the start of NBA training camp draws nearer, the future of the Brooklyn Nets remains a mystery. For those who may be tardy to the party, Nets All-Star Kevin Durant requested a trade from the franchise on June 30th, and this summer, the team had preliminary conversations on a trade that would send Kyrie Irving to the Los Angeles Lakers and Russell Westbrook to the Nets.
At one point, it seemed like the Nets were going all in on a rebuild. But even amid the Kyrie and KD drama, Nets general manager Sean Marks and owner Joe Tsai have made key roster moves with the addition of Royce O’Neale, and TJ Warren in hopes that they can once again be among the top title contenders in 2023 .
Another player that could be on the Nets’ radar is 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony. Heavy’s Steve Bulpett says that signing him is a possibility if Durant and Kyrie remain with the Nets.
“The possibility is there for that because Anthony, maybe he can contribute but his (salary) number would not be very big. If you’re Brooklyn, that is the positive,” Bulpett said of the chances that Carmelo will sign with the Nets.
Heavy’s Sean Deveney added that KD and Kyrie wanted the Nets to sign Carmelo in 2019 when he was a free agent, but Brooklyn ultimately decided against it.
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Warriors Also Linked to Carmelo Anthony
As an All-NBA forward, 10-time All-Star, and scoring champion, Carmelo has a well-decorated NBA career. But one of the things that has eluded him is winning his first NBA title. And at 38 years old, his career is entering its latter days. The defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors could also 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.
“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.”
Carmelo Can Still Be a Contributor for a Contender
Melo may not be the offensive threat he once was, but he still has the tools to be a key contributor. Last season he averaged 13.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and shot 44% from the field. For reference, that’s more than the Nets’ fifth leading scorer LaMarcus Aldridge who averaged 12.9 points per game and roughly two points less than their fourth leading scorer Seth Curry who averaged 14.9 points per game in 19 games for the Nets.
Inserting the veteran forward into a lineup that features two prolific scorers in Kyrie and Durant would afford him a lot more touches than he did playing with the likes of Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis with All due respect.
But where Anthony could really hold value for the Nets is his veteran leadership. The Nets will have a lot of young players on their roster in 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.
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