The New York Knicks reportedly had interest in a reunion with Carmelo Anthony if they signed two top free agents in July.
The New York Knicks hosted Carmelo Anthony for parts of seven years, and his run with the team only ended in 2017, just two full seasons ago. One stint each with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets later, he is without a job and long after free agency’s start.
Anthony’s name recently became a topic when his trainer, Chris Brickley, said the future Pro Basketball Hall of Famer wanted a farewell tour like Dwyane Wade just had, noting the game-to-game jersey swaps.
Speculation-only surrounded Anthony’s potential return to the Knicks, the team that always welcomed him, despite an unceremonious few years when Phil Jackson was in charge.
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Well, a reunion was potentially in the cards this offseason, at least under one circumstance. Per Stadium and The Athletic’s Shams Charania, if the Knicks signed two “major” free agents, they “had planned to consider” signing Anthony.
“Planned to consider” is not concrete, but this is the first time any team linked to Anthony, with potential interest, has come to fruition. The previous reports linked him to the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2018-19 season, but nothing happened, and that will also remain the same, apparently.
The Knicks were tied to Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving for months before they signed with the Brooklyn Nets. That could have left Anthony a top reserve spot behind them, pending he willingly took a bench role; that applied to not just New York, but any destination.
Instead, the Knicks signed a handful of veterans to fill their roster, including the 34-year-old Taj Gibson. Anthony is age 35 but does not have the wily veteran status, where he will take any role and be that influence on the younger players, at least not in the public perception.
Without a destination, though, it is a potentially disappointing end to Anthony’s career. It is seemingly not on his own terms and similar to Allen Iverson‘s exit, when he was out of the NBA less than two years after he averaged 26.4 points for the Denver Nuggets in 2007-08.
It takes one team to show interest. Anthony can still find that before training camp or even a short time into the regular season once injuries hit. For now, it is not the New York Knicks or anyone that will sign him, making for another layer to an already headline-worthy offseason.