Future Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony is in the twilight of his basketball career and he is arguably approaching the end of it. Yet, after 19 seasons in the NBA, it is not clear what the future holds for the former Los Angeles Lakers forward.
Melo joined a seemingly stacked Lakers team last summer in the hope to catch his first NBA Championship, but things did not go as planned. Now, people are trying to figure out what his next move is going to be.
Anthony has a few options in front of him.
At 38 years old, he could call it a career and decide to retire leaving a very good legacy behind him despite failing in conquering a ring. With an all but assured induction in the Hall of Fame, the acknowledgement as one of the deadliest scorers ever seen and a place among the 75 greatest players in NBA history, he will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the greats of the game.
Carmelo could retire with great dignity, knowing he gave everything he had to basketball and enjoy his life with no regrets whatsoever.
However, despite his age, the former superstar had a very good season in LA. He maintained his production as a role player off the bench equal to his past four seasons, averaging 13.3 points and 4.2 rebounds in 26 minutes. If he decides to return, Melo could definitely still supply a productive season for an NBA team at the veteran minimum.
As rumors swirled, the New York Knicks would be open to sign the New York native and former leader of the franchise for a farewell season, given his history with the city.
He would provide a stabilizing veteran presence for a young team which struggles (as usual) to find his footing in the league and receive the proper recognition as he wraps up his career in the most representative place.
If true, the fact that Carmelo Anthony did not jump at this chance shows he is weighing his post-Lakers options.
Given that he has not announced his retirement yet, it seems likely that he will play a final season, and the fact that he has not already joined the Knicks could mean that he is still considering to re-join LeBron James and the Lakers for a final run to the championship.
Melo could very well be waiting to see how the Kyrie Irving saga unfolds, what kind of team the Lakers will be and what chances they will have next year.
He would definitely be a welcome return for LA. Last season Carmelo was a bright spot for the Lakers, acting as a reliable scorer off the bench and showing a commitment on the defensive end that he rarely provided through his career.
Especially in the case the Lakers managed to pull off a trade for supertalented but troublemaker Kyrie Irving, they would benefit of a veteran presence like Anthony in the locker room after they went from the oldest team in the league to signing a bunch of youngsters.
That being said, the Lakers’ recent decision to give away Carmelo’s no. 7 jersey might be all the reason we need to conclude that Los Angeles might not actually be in the cards.
3 sharpshooters the Lakers can still pursue in free agency
The Los Angeles Lakers have not added much shooting to the roster this offseason so the team might be looking at targeting a sharpshooter.
If the reshaped Lakers will look competitive to the former All-Star, it is very believable that Carmelo Anthony will wear a purple and gold uniform again next year, trying to get that championship he is sorely missing with the help of his friend LeBron.