NBA: Melo's Camp Does Damage Control, Out To Kill Negativity On Embattled Star

Carmelo Anthony is still hopeful of making an NBA comeback but the negativity tied up to him being a team killer exists. Now, his camp is hoping to correct all that and address accusations that the 35-year-old All-Star is the reason why his last three stops did not perform well.

League sources inform Sean Deveney of Heavy.com, Anthony's team reps are acting aggressively to fend off these negative vibes. The 10-time NBA All-Star has been singled out as the scapegoat of several teams he has played for - a blame which his reps fell is unfair. Rather than being called a bad locker room distraction, they feel that Melo is a good distraction instead.

"He's got a lot of friends in the league, he is liked by other players. He's got friends in the media. He doesn't get into trouble off the court, he never has. They're really disputing this whole idea that he's a team cancer."

Anthony said recently that he feels he can still play NBA ball. Aware that his All-Star days are behind him, the 2013 NBA scoring champion added that he is willing to accept any role on any team, CBS Sports reported. Obviously, he is not ready to call it a career and is leaving doors open on a potential NBA return.

One person who agrees that Anthony can still play ball is Marc Stein of the New York Times. He concurs that Melo does not deserve to be called the scapegoat for Rockets poor start, a move that he never though Houston would do. It is a decision that he feels is beyond anyone's control.

As far as leaving Anthony out of consideration for Team USA, Stein believes that it was the right call. Even if Melo ended up playing for the United States, it would have done nothing to help his chances of making an NBA return. A return stint would have also been risky, putting in jeopardy his four previous trips to the Summer Games.

Despite being left out as of this writing, there is no question that Anthony can still play NBA ball. Several players feel he can still be an asset and that team remains at large. A stint in the Big3 is possible or possibly even overseas.

In a previous post, there was talk linking him to the Portland Trail Blazers. Damian Lillard cleared the air and said that it would have made sense...if the move came two years ago.