Carmelo Anthony has been out of the NBA for the last eight months. His chances to re-enter the league are low, but the Los Angles Lakers could represent his only hope.
Could the Los Angeles Lakers elongate an aging star’s career? It has been made abundantly clear that Carmelo Anthony is desperate for having a last shot in the NBA. And he is ready to do whatever it takes and accept whatever role he needs to play. It is also well known he talked to the Lakers about the possibility to join them.
Actually, it was his representatives that reached out to the organization to know if there was a role for him.
The Lakers have no roster spot available but they could decide to move on from DeMarcus Cousins, who suffered a torn ACL.
Their preferred option in such case would be to bring in veteran player Andre Iguodala, provided that he reaches a buyout agreement with the Memphis Grizzlies. Otherwise, they could just play the waiting game to see if some big opportunity presents itself into the season.
Every kind of thing has been said about Melo not belonging to the league anymore, not fitting any team, the Lakers being his only hope because of his friendship with LeBron James etc. And most of it is probably true.
But still, Carmelo Anthony is a 10-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA, 2013 scoring champion with a career average of 24 points per game.
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It is hard to believe he does not have a place in the NBA. In his own words:
"(Do) you mean to tell me I can’t make a 15-man roster out of 30 teams in the NBA?"
Of course, he is 35 years old and his defense and selfishness remain big issues but provided he accepts whatever role he is asked to play, as he stated, is he not good enough to play NBA minutes? His scoring prowess can still be useful for some team, especially if supplied at bunches off the bench.
So, could he be a good signing for the Lakers?
As of now, the answer is no. Too much has to play out for the purple and gold. Some more valuable players like Iguodala could become available in the buyout market and a trade could be a possibility from here to the deadline.
But once the deadline will be passed and no interesting chances will have materialized for the Lakers, they should take a hard look at Anthony before the term for free agents to be playoff-eligible passes.
He could represent a useful offensive weapon in case injuries occurs, and with the right chemistry on the floor with teammates (especially the second unit) like Rajon Rondo, he could experience a rebirth as a role player that provides fast points.
The question is, ‘is he really ready to accept whatever role he gets offered?’ According to him, that is positive 100%. He is willing to take a step back and do what he is asked to in order to return to the NBA and have a shot at the championship.
Hence, while Carmelo does not represent an enticing option right now and Lakers front office will not make the mistake to hastily sign him.
Despite what people think, there might be a spot and a role on Lakers roster when the right time comes and it could also save Melo’s career as a first-ballot hall of famer.