Knicks Trade Rumors: Five reasons to keep Carmelo Anthony

4. Scoring Proficiency

Until further notice, Carmelo Anthony is no longer an elite scorer. He has an elite skill set from a scoring perspective, however, and that can still be utilized to both put points on the board and alleviate pressure from his teammates.

With a system that he’s willing to buy into, it stands to reason that Anthony could make it to 15 consecutive seasons with an average of at least 20.0 points per game.

Head coach Jeff Hornacek is confident that Kristaps Porzingis will make a leap during his third NBA season. There’s certainly rationale behind that belief, but Porzingis is still a developing player who may not yet be ready for 18-to-20 shots per game.

Even if he is, Porzingis will face growing paints—growing pains that could be lessened and lightened by the presence of a legitimate No. 2 scoring threat.

If Anthony is willing to check his ego, he could be the No. 2 scorer who enables Porzingis to develop into the scorer he’s capable of becoming. He’d still command the attention of the opposition’s best perimeter defender, which would create superior spacing.

There’s no guaranteeing that Anthony would take on a No. 2 role, but whether he’s the featured or secondary scoring option, he can still be of aid.