The Portland Trail Blazers made waves around the NBA on Thursday night when it was reported that they will sign Carmelo Anthony. The news received praise from a number of players around the league, all of whom think the 35-year-old forward still has something left in the tank and can be a valuable contributor to a team that has gotten off to a slow start this season.
It’s unclear if Anthony actually has all that much left in the tank — he hasn’t played in more than a year following his 10-game stint with the Houston Rockets, which wasn’t exactly brimming with success — but Portland is starved for help at both forward spots. If Anthony can give them any positive contributions, then this has the potential to be a shrewd move by the Blazers’ front office. If not, then that’s fine, as he’s on a non-guaranteed deal.
Damian Lillard thinks it’s more likely that the first scenario happens. Rachel Nichols of ESPN reached out to Portland’s superstar guard, who’s lobbied for Melo to join the team in the past and is optimistic about his fit with the team.
Reached out Damian Lillard to see what he thought of Melo joining the Blazers – he's looking forward to it. Dame: “I believe he can help us. Obviously I’d like to see our early-season struggles turn around, and hopefully we can be part of a great bounceback for Melo as well.”
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) November 15, 2019
According to a report by Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, Lillard was filled in on the team’s decision to add Anthony the night before the news broke. Lillard had previously said that he believes Anthony deserved to get another shot in the league, and while the circumstances that led to Portland having the room for him aren’t ideal, that will now come to fruition as a member of the Blazers.
