NBA: 'Lesser Role' Concern Prevents Forward Signing, Nets Offer Possible

Carmelo Anthony’s search for a team for the 2019-20 NBA season continues without much success as no team has yet come forward to make an offer for the veteran forward. He is desperate to play one final campaign before hanging up his jersey but his pleas have thus far gone unanswered despite many current and former players certain that he deserves a chance.

The Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks were initially touted as potential destinations for the 10-time All-Star but nothing materialized and he still remains an unrestricted free agent. The last time Anthony played in the NBA was in November 2018 when he was signed with the Houston Rockets, who eventually traded him to Chicago Bulls after just 10 games, who then waived him.

The Athletic’s Davis Aldridge asked executives and coaches around the league why Anthony was not yet signed by a franchise and if he has the ability to contribute to the success of any franchise. The responses revealed positive yet a similar response about the forward’s behavior being a major concern.

“It’s all about if he will accept a role. (He can be an) off the bench scorer and locker room positive influence. He could make $5-7 million,” an Eastern Conference team’s executive said, as quoted on Clutch Points.

“I think he COULD. The issue might be his willingness to accept a certain type of role. It’s tough to take away minutes from a young ‘up and comer’ for ‘Melo right now, and risk limiting that young player’s growth curve because of it. I think that might be the thought across the board (even for contending teams). Someone might look to add him for a deep playoff run later though. I LOVE ‘Melo too, FYI!” a Western Conference coach added.

A recent report indicated that many teams were concerned about signing Melo due to his inability to accept a smaller role within the team and they believe that could be a distraction within the locker room. But the forward has admitted that he is willing to accept a lesser role as long as he gets to play at least one more season in the NBA.

One Western Conference executive believes he will be suited to playing with the Miami Heat under Pat Riley or with the Portland Trail Blazers. He believes the NBA is moving away from Anthony’s “forte” as they are looking for players who can help with ball movement and three-point shooting.

“Miami, if he is willing to work with (Pat) Riley hard on conditioning. He can replace D-Wade’s scoring. Or, Portland. They play a lot of isolation basketball and they need another scorer. Carmelo is a dinosaur in today’s NBA. Everyone wants ball movement and three-point shooting; not Melo’s forte.”

However, there could be light at the end of the tunnel for the veteran forward with Brooklyn Nets facing a shortage of forwards going into the new season. They lost Wilson Chandler to a 25 game suspension for breaching the league’s anti-drug policy, while Rodions Kurucs could face suspension after becoming embroiled in an alleged domestic violence issue.

Moreover, Nets stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant are said to be pushing the franchise to sign Anthony for the upcoming campaign. But he will face competition from ex-Nets forward Joe Johnson, who is also said to be holding a workout for the team.