What Teams Will Carmelo Anthony Be A Perfect Fit For?
The NBA free agency period got off to a great start Sunday, July 30th. Even before the official date, deals were already in place for some but for others, it hasn’t even begun yet. One player, in particular, will draw interest from a handful of teams. Where will Carmelo Anthony end up?
Last season, Anthony joined the Houston Rockets and proved he still can put the ball in the basket. But the fit wasn’t right as the team struggled out the gate. Was it Anthony’s fault? No, but he was the easy scapegoat. No way was the Rockets going to lay blame at the feet of James Harden or Chris Paul.
When it was all said it done, Anthony basically took the year off. Is he ready for a return to redeem his name in 2019 or have we seen the last of No. 7?
Here are 3 teams Carmelo Anthony could possibly land with.
Los Angeles Lakers
For most, this is the destination. Other than All-Star Games and Olympics, LeBron and Anthony have yet to wear the same uniform. With the Los Angeles Lakers looking for more of a veteran approach, adding Anthony seems logical. Pairing Anthony with Davis and LeBron would give the Lakers a trifecta of scorers.
While many have dismissed Carmelo Anthony as the elite scorer he once was, he could see a rebirth of sorts in LA. With LeBron doing most of the ball handling and looking to set teammates up, Anthony, a threat from the perimeter, would get his chances nightly to prove the critics wrong.
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On another good note, he’s cheap (a possible $2.4M), has the necessary basketball IQ this team needs, and has a great relationship with both Davis and James. It makes sense but the Lakers must be leery of other teams lurking.
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers, despite having J.J. Redick and Jimmy Butler on the perimeter were still short one more outside offensive threat. With Redick and Butler gone, snagging Carmelo Anthony would be the icing on the cake.
When focused, the 76ers are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. However, their issues occur when forced to rely on the second unit. The 76ers are loaded in their top 5 but the bench needs a major upgrade. Anthony won’t provide much on the defensive front but his offensive talents coupled with his leadership and ability to take and make clutch shots is exactly what this team needs.
What Elton Brand must imagine is a possible starting unit of Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Josh Richardson, Tobias Harris, and Al Horford with Anthony coming off the bench to strengthen the second team. This is a championship-caliber team here.
Golden State Warriors
Why not? Kevin Durant is gone and Klay Thompson is expected to miss a huge chunk of the 2019-20 NBA season, the Warriors will need another offensive threat.
Will they ask Draymond Green to do more? Well, he had his chances in the NBA Finals and the Toronto Raptors took home the Larry O’Brien trophy. Something drastic needs to happen. With Carmelo possibly set on taking the veteran minimum, this could be one of those sweet deals they had with DeMarcus Cousins this past season. With the Warriors lacking offensive weapons despite the new addition of D’Angelo Russell, Anthony would surely see an uptake in shot attempts in 2019.
The Western Conference will be tough for the Warriors to win and with their rash of injuries, they will be lucky to make the playoffs. But if Anthony is just in it to redeem his name, then Golden State would be the perfect fit. He has a chance to be a force offensively behind Curry and Russell.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
