If a roster spot opens, the New York Knicks should host Carmelo Anthony’s farewell tour.
After a long run with the New York Knicks and two short stints with the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets, the NBA seemingly gave up on Carmelo Anthony as they see him as a waste of time and a chemistry destroyer.
With the new reports of Anthony wishing to have a “farewell tour” like fellow 2003 draftee and close friend, Dwyane Wade, had this past season, others have wanted the same for him, including Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard.
As there are intriguing choices for Anthony to have this tour, none make more sense than the Knicks: a team in turmoil who had a lackluster offseason and could use another big name in the rotation, even if he is coming off the bench as Wade did.
However, this is dependant on if the New York Knicks roster changes. They have a full 15-man roster after free agency, so clearing a spot is mandatory to make this happen.
Anthony is from New York City, he played college in New York at Syracuse and won a national championship in his freshman season and spent parts of sevens seasons with the franchise. The fans in New York love ‘Melo and would undoubtedly treat him properly if he wanted to come back for one more season off the bench, and he would push the team towards the playoffs by just being the scorer he knows how to be and not worrying about defense under limited minutes.
Then, maybe, on some nights, he is playing well, and David Fizdale could leave him in the game as that extra offensive punch.
In Anthony’s six full seasons with the Knicks, he played in 385 games, which he started all of. He averaged 24 points, seven rebounds, three assists, one steal and two turnovers on 44 percent shooting from the field playing 36 minutes per game. He finished third overall in the 2012-13 season in MVP votes, became an All-Star in each season and is bound to enter the Hall of Fame — maybe as a Knick — one day.
Although Anthony never warmed up to playing off the bench, would that be the case in New York?
The former national champion loves the Knicks and should take exception to them because they are his hometown team. They also only have two players as of now who play the small forward in Kevin Knox and Marcus Morris and if one gets hurt, ‘Melo finds himself in a nice role.
Otherwise, what other choices does he have? Anthony could easily be a 10 points per game guy, grabbing a few boards along the way to help productivity. He has to be dedicated to doing this, or he will never get the real fantastical farewell season he dreams of.