Carmelo Anthony not having a contract may be due to career assassination, NBA pundit suggests

Carmelo Anthony remains in NBA purgatory as no team has come forward and expressed their interest in signing him despite him and his agent reaching out to multiple organizations. Part of the reason for this silence is due to ‘Melo’s waning effectiveness on the court, both on the offensive and defensive side.

However, it’s strange to see that other less talented players have been given a contract and Carmelo Anthony couldn’t even get a callback. Even at 35 years old, there’s no arguing that the forward still has something left in his tank.

Thus, a new narrative has been put forward by NBA pundit Stephen A. Smith in a segment during “First Take.” Smith believes that the reason why Carmelo Anthony still doesn’t have a team is due to a smear campaign that is happening within the league.

Carmelo Anthony’s career being ruined by NBA execs?

And it’s not players that are apparently spreading this narrative but coaches and general managers. Carmelo Anthony previously said that Rockets general manager Daryl Morey essentially “fired” him after only playing 10 games with the team last year. It’s difficult to tell if there’s any weight to the smear campaign claim but the intrigue is certainly drawing a lot of attention.

Meanwhile, ESPN’s Max Kellerman said that if there’s anyone that can utilize Carmelo Anthony’s remaining years, it’s coach Gregg Popovich. Popovich has been known to transform older players into effective role players. With ‘Melo’s proclivity to settle for mid-range shots, he can potentially be used to give his teammates the space needed to ease the paint.

Carmelo Anthony can still light up the board, Enes Kanter said

Celtics center Enes Kanter was backing Carmelo Anthony up and stated that the forward still belongs in the league, IBT reported. He even said ‘Melo can still put up 25 points on any given night and said that it’s still difficult to guard him even with his age.

However, even if a team does pick Carmelo Anthony up, it’s likely that he’s going to be starting off the bench with limited minutes. As mentioned earlier, he’s no longer the prolific scorer he once was and his defensive skills remain a liability that the opposing side can exploit. But this doesn’t mean he doesn’t belong in the NBA anymore. He just needs to accept the role given to him, a role that ‘Melo himself is willing to play should a team give him another chance.