Former Syracuse basketball star Carmelo Anthony still has gas left in the tank. Here’s why he’s headed to the Los Angeles Lakers this Summer.
Carmelo Anthony is approaching his 17th season in the NBA if he does sign with a team for the 2019-20 season. Here’s why the former Syracuse basketball star is one of the most interesting free agents on the market.
He is obviously way past his prime, and will most likely only sign somewhere for the veteran minimum. However, he still believes that he has a lot of game left in the tank, and even though his pit stops in Oklahoma City and Houston didn’t exactly work out, he still averaged well over double-digits in points per game.
At this point, anyone willing to take on Melo will have to put up with his isolation style of play.
The NBA has moved on from this over the past few years, with an emphasis on the three-ball and a lot of spacing, recently popularized by the Golden State Warriors.
Interestingly enough, the Toronto Raptors won the latest installment of the NBA Championship with Kawhi Leonard at the forefront of their success. Leonard, who is known for his defense, is also a tremendous scorer and does so well in isolation and his mid-range game, which gives me reason to believe that Melo’s style of play isn’t really outdated but just needs to flow within the right system.
While there has been speculation that he could return to New York for a Dwyane Wade-esque ‘last dance’, there is really only one team that I see Carmelo signing with and having the most success with.
Carmelo Anthony should sign with the LA Lakers.
Yep, the team that his Denver Nuggets fell to in the Western Conference Finals over a decade ago – perhaps Anthony’s best chance at an NBA Championship – is now his best fit.
Of course, the Lakers are led by Melo’s longtime close friend LeBron James, so that alone is a reason for Carmelo to want to finish his career in the purple and gold. However, above that, with the recent trade for Anthony Davis, LA parted ways with guards Josh Hart and Lonzo Ball, and forward Brandon Ingram – who is often compared to a young Kevin Durant or even a young Carmelo Anthony himself.
In other words, Carmelo would not only benefit from playing with LeBron James, but would also fill in a much-needed scorer, as the Lakers really only have two proven scorers in James and Davis, and a young-gun in Kyle Kuzma.
One close source, Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson, a senior writer for Basketball Society has remained close to the Anthony saga, recently tweeted:
"“Carmelo Anthony and the Lakers still have mutual interests, I’m told. Anthony was set to sign with Lakers toward the end of the season if they secured a playoff spot.”"
https://twitter.com/ScoopB/status/1141835193029943297?fbclid=IwAR3uA5mvb8nX3NBirSL8XZC7HNp6aUMNZfFSoNh-pe1wc_UihraDBlJsx8k
If Robinson is correct, it would only make sense. The Lakers would’ve been a good fit last season, but Anthony most likely didn’t want un-needed wear and tear if a playoff run wasn’t a possibility.
Now, with LeBron and Anthony Davis as possibly the best one-two punch for the 2019-20 NBA season, the Lakers have a great shot at winning their first NBA Championship since 2010.
Add that to the fact that their roster took a hit by trading for Davis, means that they are in need of someone who can score the basketball (*cough cough, Carmelo Anthony*).
Only time will tell if Melo does sign with the Lakers, which can become official on July 6th. All the pieces are in place for Carmelo to make the move, so we’ll just have to sit back and wait.