Three NBA Teams That Should Consider Signing Carmelo Anthony

For months it felt like the career of Carmelo Anthony might be over. After getting released by the Chicago Bulls in 2019 (essentially the Houston Rockets) it felt as though he may not serve a place in the league anymore. His name was dragged through the mud and analysts questioned what purpose he could serve to a winning team.

Eventually he landed with the Portland Trail Blazers and served as a bench scorer. His 3-point shot became more reliable and he was able to use that to stretch out the defense a bit on offense. His efficiency continued to underwhelm, but his ability to provide a semblance of individual scoring offense in the half court was palatable enough for Portland to bring him back for another year.

LeBron James recruited Anthony to come on board to the Los Angeles Lakers last season and the record speaks for itself on how it all went. For Anthony, it was one of his best seasons in recent memory– his efficiency spiked and he was able to be a lone bright spot in an otherwise messy year for the Lakers.

Even with that impressive season Anthony remains unsigned as of this moment. He still has value and could certainly help a few teams out around the league that need a bit more depth in the front court.

Brooklyn Nets

Brooklyn is obviously in a turbulent state of unrest, but that may be resolved now that Kevin Durant seems set on staying. They still have room on the roster and it would make sense to add a veteran depth piece to a team that is likely still going to contend for a playoff spot– even if they do deal Durant.

A recent report from Sean Deveney speculated as much, especially in relation to Anthony:

…And they’re going to play (Ben) Simmons there quite a bit in small ball lineups. I’d expect them to keep 14 guys, keep one spot open. There has been some talk about them signing Carmelo Anthony, maybe as a nod to Kevin Durant, but obviously that has not gotten anywhere, at least not yet.”

That wording certainly doesn’t guarantee anything, but the idea that the Nets may utilize Ben Simmons as a big man in small ball lineups makes the addition of Anthony even more intriguing. His best trait at this point is that he can generate menial offense on his own in the half court and that he can space the floor for centers. Anthony paired with Simmons on 2nd units has the potential to be incredibly effective. The other added benefit is Anthony is the best chance that the team has of replacing some of Durant’s half court scoring on the cheap, unless T.J. Warren is back to how he played during the summer of 2020.

Atlanta Hawks

Anthony may seem like a weird pairing off the cuff with the Atlanta Hawks– the team was a defensive disaster last season and Carmelo is certainly not considered a stout defender. But one of the biggest benefits the team could use is a spacer on offense. The center position has a clear focus on defense and the maneuvers this offseason cut some of the depth at the wing position for Atlanta. Anthony could be a cheap option to bring in that gives some optionality to stretch the floor a bit on offense. Acting as a spacer without needing to worry about rebounding– an area in his game that has plummeted over the past couple of years– allows the Hawks to be a team that could actually utilize his game in certain matchups. Clint Capela makes for a nice pairing with Anthony because of his solid rim protection and elite rebounding.

The problem at this point is with roster spots. The decision to bring in Frank Kaminsky and the depth additions of Mo Harkless and Justin Holiday probably make this marriage unlikely. If a signing did happen it would likely be after an injury during the season.

Phoenix Suns

There are not many open roster spots remaining in the NBA, and there are not a ton of young teams that would actively want the contributing production of Anthony. The Phoenix Suns fall into the former of these descriptions. They pretty much have a set roster at this point, even though they could use another body at the power forward position.

A healthy Dario Saric, in theory, gives the team the option to use a smaller lineup, but it is more than likely that the team continues its trend of utilizing a traditional center at all times. Anthony could be paired with a defensive specialist (Mikal Bridges, Josh Okogie) with one of the traditional centers in order to give some added spacing to the floor. The Suns obviously have their sights set on rebounding from a brutal playoff loss to the Dallas Mavericks– Anthony will not likely help much throughout the postseason. But he can be an innings eater during the regular season to take some of the weight off of Jae Crowder and Mikal Bridges so they can stay fresh when April rolls around.