A few days ago, there were rumors going around that Carmelo Anthony is being eyed by the Brooklyn Nets. What’s more, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving themselves are apparently pushing for this maneuver.
Now, Carmelo Anthony has responded to the claim and said that teaming up with both superstars will be more than just basketball. It would be a family.
However, even Carmelo Anthony himself isn’t sure if this narrative has any teeth, saying that “if something’s gonna happen, it’s gonna happen,” TMZ reported. So is there any weight to the claim?
Carmelo Anthony and the source of the Nets narrative
The Nets discussion surfaced when Frank Isola of The Athletic made a claim. Isola said that Nets general manager Bobby Marks and head coach Kenny Atkinson have been monitoring Carmelo Anthony’s workout.
There are also claims going around that the 35-year-old has been involved in “informal team workouts and scrimmages” with Nets players, so it appears that this move has already gained momentum, SNY reported. There have been a lot of teams that have been linked with Carmelo Anthony in recent months.
NBA pundits Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman believe that the Lakers is still the best fit for ‘Melo. Kellerman argued that LeBron James’ ability to elevate the players around him is a crucial factor that could utilize the remaining gas in Carmelo Anthony’s tank. Unfortunately, nothing has ever materialized from that narrative.
Other teams that have also been put forward are the Heat, Sixers, Blazers, and Clippers. And those, too, never produced any results that favored Carmelo Anthony. While it’s still unclear why no NBA team has picked him up, Smith argued that ‘Melo’s career is being assassinated in the shadows by several coaches and general managers within the league.
Carmelo Anthony and his future moving forward
It’s still unclear whether this narrative has any substance to it, but it is quite curious that other less talented players have been picked up and Carmelo Anthony remains in NBA purgatory. And if he ever gets signed, it’s expected that he won’t be coming out swinging out the gate since the last time that he played an NBA game was back in November, BR reported.
For his part, Carmelo Anthony did say that he had been making sure that his body remains on a professional level, hitting the gym and playing ball to stay in shape. But he also said that if nothing ever comes out of all these narratives that have emerged, he’d still be at peace with what he’s done within the league.
