Will the Warriors be interested in claiming Carmelo Anthony off waivers?
After a rough start to the 2018-19 NBA season, it might only be a matter of time before the Houston Rockets release Carmelo Anthony. The 10-time NBA All-Star is taking most of the blame for the Rockets’ rough start, and there are speculations that Houston is strongly considering cutting ties with the veteran forward. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Anthony’s representatives have already started gathering information from NBA front offices about a potential landing spot for Melo.
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report suggested that the reigning NBA champions, Golden State Warriors, would be an interesting destination for Carmelo Anthony. The Warriors entered the 2018-19 NBA season as the heavy favorite to win the NBA championship title. It’s definitely not a surprise for many fans and analysts, especially after the Warriors succeeded in retaining their core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green and upgraded their roster with the acquisition of All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins in the recent free agency period.
However, despite their star-studded roster, the Warriors still have weaknesses – wing depth and bench scoring. So far, the Warriors only rank 28th in the league in bench points per game (30.8). Buckley believes those issues can be immediately addressed by signing Carmelo Anthony once the Rockets buy out his contract.
“If Anthony would be receptive to a bench role—admittedly a significant if—he could help fortify one of the franchise’s only weaknesses. Since the start of last season, the Warriors have received 20 points from a bench player only once. Anthony orchestrated two such performances during his first seven outings of 2018-19. His career-low 16.4 points per 36 minutes would still rank sixth on the Warriors. Of all possible landing spots, Golden State might have the fewest minutes to offer. But if Anthony puts winning at the center of his decision, he won’t find a more favorable situation.”
At 34, there is little doubt that Carmelo Anthony is already on the downside of his career. However, he could still be a reliable contributor to a team who needs to boost their scoring off the bench. In 10 games he played with the Rockets this season, the veteran forward is averaging 13.4 points and 5.4 rebounds on 40.5 percent shooting from the field and 32.8 percent from beyond the arc. Anthony easily looks like a better option in the wing than Jacob Evans, Alfonzo McKinnie, Damion Lee, and Marcus Derrickson.
If he really receives an interest from the Warriors, choosing Golden State as his next destination could be a good move for Carmelo Anthony. Of all the 30 NBA teams, the Warriors will give Anthony the best chance of winning his first NBA championship title. Being surrounded by NBA All-Stars, Anthony would feel less pressure playing in Golden State which could greatly help him regain his rhythm and confidence.
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