Carmelo Anthony was one of the few bright spots for the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2021-22 NBA season. Despite the struggles the team had overall on the court, Anthony showed that he can still get eh job done as a scorer and shooter.
He knocked down 37.5 percent of his 3-point attempts, providing a consistent scoring punch off the bench for Los Angeles with 13.3 points per game. Anthony was excellent in home games, making 42.7 percent of his 3-point attempts at Staples/Crypto.Com Arena. But, on the road he had some struggles, making only 31.9 percent.
That comfort level that he has in Los Angeles is what could keep him there next season. The 37-year-old is entering NBA free agency and was honest about the situation, not knowing what will come next. As he enters his potential 19th season in the NBA, the options could be limited.
Matching up what he wants with what teams need could be a little challenging. At this stage of his career, playing for a contender that can win is likely the No. 1 priority. There are a few contenders that could certainly find a role for him next season depending on how their offseasons shake out.
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Over at Heavy.com, two dark horse teams were mentioned as landing spots for Carmelo Anthony; the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. Both make sense if they can make it work roster-wise.
In Boston, some people wanted the Celtics to sign Anthony when he was a free agent in 2019. Danny Ainge was not one of those people and they ultimately passed, but with Brad Stevens now running the front office, it could be a situation that is re-visited.
“If they make a run here and get to the conference finals or the Finals, he’s a solid option as a veteran shooter who can fill a small role,” the West executive said. “If you’re (Jayson) Tatum or (Jaylen) Brown, they’d welcome a veteran like that. They have young shooters that they are not playing and maybe they prioritize those guys. But he’d be a security blanket.”
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The Miami Heat earned the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference this season and could use someone of Carmelo Anthony’s skill set on their second unit. The Heat have positioned themselves to make a splash this offseason, so they could be in the market for cheap, veteran help depending on how big of changes are made.
“That is one place I could see both sides saying it makes sense,” a Western Conference executive said. “But only if Miami makes a trade. They have a lot of young guys who need minutes and they have to figure out how that will be sorted. If it is Melo or, say, Caleb Martin, they’re going to keep building up Martin.”
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Carmelo Anthony will surely keep his options open. But, unless he is willing to play for a non-contending team just to get minutes, it sounds as if his options could be a little limited this offseason. He could be waiting to sign a deal a little later into NBA free agency this year than last year, waiting for the right situation to open up.
