After nine long months, Carmelo Anthony could be making his return to an NBA court soon. The Brooklyn Nets reportedly have interest in signing the 35-year-old forward and the team’s star players are doing everything they can to make sure Anthony is a Net on opening night.
Via Frank Isola of The Athletic:
The Brooklyn Nets remain interested in potentially signing Anthony, who recently trained with a group of their players in Los Angeles, including Kyrie Irving. In fact, one source told The Athletic that Irving and Kevin Durant, who both joined the Nets in July, are “pushing” the club to sign Anthony.
The Nets currently have 15 guaranteed contracts on their books, so they would have to waive someone to bring on Anthony. The question is: Would Anthony be worth their time and money?
Anthony hasn’t played a meaningful game of basketball since November and there are legitimate questions about his physical fitness as a result. His 10-game stint with the Houston Rockets last season didn’t exactly inspire confidence that he can still contribute to an NBA team, either.
However, if Anthony buys into a new, smaller role in Brooklyn he could be of good use to the Nets.
After losing Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, DeMarre Carroll and Jared Dudley in free agency and Durant to a torn Achilles, and most recently seeing Wilson Chandler get a 25-game suspension for a positive PED test, the Nets could use a veteran wing/power forward presence. While the hope is that second-year forward Rodions Kurucs and the newly-acquired Taurean Prince can contribute next season, having a veteran like Anthony would round out their rotation.
Anthony has been waiting for the chance to prove himself since being waived by the Rockets in November, and he may finally get the chance to do so in a city he’s comfortable with.
