Carmelo Anthony had a great run with the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2019-20 season, averaging 15.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Now, set to be a free agent this summer, he has certainly shown enough to earn another contract to continue playing somewhere in the league.
Where will he end up playing in the 2020-21 NBA season?
For starters, he seemed to have enjoyed his time in Portland last season. After their season ended, he had great things to say about the organization when asked about his future in the league.
“I pray that it can be Portland. Honestly, I think that I found a home in Portland. I got comfortable with the organization. I got comfortable with the guys on the team. They got comfortable with me. At this point in my career, I do think that’s the best fit for me…I really hope it can be Portland at the end of the day.”
However, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic, a Blazers reunion may not be as likely as we think. Quick writes that if Anthony were to return it would likely need to be in a different role than the one he saw on a shorthanded Blazers team in 2019-20, a more complementary role off of the bench.
There’s no guarantee that happens, Quick suggest.
The forward spots will definitely be somewhat crowded next season for Portland. Even without Anthony, they still have Trevor Ariza, Rodney Hood, Zach Collins, Nassir Little and Mario Hezonja who are all capable of playing the four.
This is something to think about for both parties. If it weren’t for injuries, this logjam at the power forward position may have been an issue even last season. Collins, Ariza, and Hood played a combined 53
Next season, with everyone presumably healthy and ready to go, rotations would look a lot different.
Regardless of where he plays in 2020-21, Anthony has shown once again that he can score the ball at a high level. Known for being one of the purest scorers in the history of the league, he still can do it on the offensive end. But where could he end up if it’s not on the Blazers?
Marc Berman of the New York Post recently reported that if Chris Paul finds his way to New York through trade, Melo could follow in free agency and join him on the Knicks. Both players were represented by Knicks president Leon Rose when he was basketball chief of Creative Artists Agency.
