Source: Kevin C. Cox / Getty
It looks like Carmelo Anthony has found a team he wants to finish out the rest of his NBA career with.
After spending the entire 2019 postseason sitting at home watching teams that could have used his services, Carmelo Anthony finally got a taste of playoff basketball again, and he wants more. If he has in any say in the matter, he would like to continue that experience in Portland for the foreseeable future. After his tenures with both the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks, it was a challenge for Carmelo to find a team to call home. His runs with both the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets were promising on paper. Still, they failed to bring any positive results, subsequently leading to Melo being in NBA limbo for way too long.
The Trail Blazers decided to give Melo a shot, and that experiment was very successful for the most part. When entering the NBA bubble, the team was on the outside looking in before making one of the best pushes for the final postseason spot in the Western Conference. Yes, Damian Lillard’s out of this world play with a combination of CJ McCollum get most of the praise, but Carmelo’s reinspired play was also a considerable part of the Blazers bubble run. Following the Trail Blazers game 5 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers that saw Anthony drop 27 points and do his best to try and stave off elimination, he spoke on his desire to play next season and remain in Portland.
“I pray that it can be Portland. Honestly, I think I’ve 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, and at this point in my career I do think that that’s the best fit for me, the best situation, especially having this experience now and kind of just getting my feet wet and just coming in and being who I am and staying true to myself. I really hope that it can be Portland at the end of the day where we give ourselves a chance to keep this team together, get guys healthy, and get another run at it.”
Melo signed with the team for the minimum this season, it’s up in the air if he is willing to say that again. While his play will surely help his case when it comes to coming back to Portland, the question remains will the Trail Blazers have money for him. The team has about $90 million in committed salary, and that doesn’t include the potential resigning of big man Hassan Whiteside and the possible waiving of Trevor Ariza. Keep in mind COVID-19 could, without a doubt, affect the team’s financial bottom lines forcing them to consider cost-cutting measures, so Melo’s return is no guarantee.
BUT, we hope the Trail Blazers do bring back Anthony because he definitely fits into the system.
Photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty
