The New York Knicks were reportedly interested in a reunion with Carmelo Anthony had they made a major splash in free agency.
Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported the Knicks viewed Anthony as a potential piece in a scenario in which they were a contender after signing free agents like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Durant and Irving signed with the crosstown Nets.
Anthony, 35, made six All-Star teams in his six-plus seasons with the Knicks, emerging as their best player since Patrick Ewing. He embraced the New York spotlight like no one else has this generation but could never quite get the dysfunctional franchise on track.
After a falling out with the organization during Phil Jackson’s tenure as team president, Anthony was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He never quite fit in next to Russell Westbrook and Paul George and has spent most of the last year bouncing around the league but only playing 10 games.
The Atlanta Hawks traded for and bought out Anthony’s contract, allowing him to sign with the Houston Rockets for those aforementioned 10 games before being sent home. The Rockets then shipped Melo to the Chicago Bulls, who waived him and allowed him to become an unrestricted free agent.
The Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers have been most regularly mentioned as suitors for Anthony, though neither appear to be a likely fit. The Knicks are in a full-scale rebuilding mode and have little use for a volume veteran scorer. The Lakers have one roster spot remaining but are more than likely saving it for a buyout candidate like Andre Iguodala.
It appears, barring a surprising change, that Anthony’s career is over. Anthony’s trainer, Chris Brickley, recently said Anthony wants to sign with a team for a farewell tour.
“Yes, given the situation. Allen Iverson, if you remember. He kind of got, some people say, blackballed. He got into a situation in his career, where teams would be like, ‘Oh, he’s gonna want this role, so we’re gonna stay away.’ I think that’s what’s going on with Melo right now,” Brickley said in an interview with The Breakfast Club.
“He’s easily better than 60 percent, 70 percent of NBA players walking around. It’s just I think teams are afraid of, ‘I want to be the star,’ or ‘I want this.’ That’s not the case, though. Melo just wants to have a final season, a farewell season, do what D-Wade did. Do the jersey swap. He had a great career, he’s a Hall of Famer. So, hopefully that can happen.”
Courtesy: Bleacher Report
