Carmelo Anthony missed his window in showing he can be a role player, Chris Haynes said

September is about to end, and Carmelo Anthony still hasn’t been signed. This is despite the fact that multiple teams have been linked to him, including the Nets, Heat, Lakers, and Clippers.

The Lakers can potentially add him given that the team still has a spot on their roster. The Nets could also stand to gain if they add Carmelo Anthony since they’re currently in need to shore up the forward position.

However, it’s not always a question of simply filling out a role when it comes to NBA teams. Or any sports team for that matter. What’s really important is how Carmelo Anthony fits in with a particular squad.

Carmelo Anthony hasn’t shown he’s a role player

Yahoo Sports senior NBA writer Chris Haynes recently sat down with Brandon Robinson and said that the veteran may have hurt his career by not taking advantage of his time in the league in the past couple of years. Specifically, Carmelo Anthony didn’t show that he can be a role player for a team, someone that can potentially lead the second unit and mentor the younger guys, Heavy reported.

“The problem was that the last three years were Carmelo’s window to kind of show teams that ‘I’m willing to reduce my role’ and ‘I’m okay and good with being the 15, 20-minute guy, know my role, know the leadership role I have to take on,’ and he didn’t showcase that in the last two to three years. That’s the last defining image that these teams have of Carmelo [Anthony],” Haynes said.

Chauncey Billups gives his two-cents about Carmelo Anthony

Chauncey Billups has a similar sentiment to the 10-time NBA All-Star. Billups said that Carmelo Anthony would usually get annoyed if he scores around 20 points during a game even though his team ultimately walks away with the victory. On the opposite end, he would start picking guys up if he scores more than 36 points despite his team losing the match.

With all of this on the table, it’s unsurprising that teams are wary of adding Carmelo Anthony into their roster, especially since coaches would also be pressured in giving him minutes. NBA pundit Stephen Smith, however, claims that ‘Melo is the target of a covert character assassination within the league that’s spearheaded by coaches and general managers.