Carmelo Anthony was one of the lone bright spots of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2021-22 NBA campaign.
Although the team didn’t deliver on what it promised him, a shot at a championship, he more than did what he was brought in to do.
Last season Anthony averaged 13.3 points per game on 52.1 percent shooting from the field and 38 percent shooting from beyond the arc. The numbers were roughly in line with his prior year’s averages, and confirm that he can consistently be a potent offensive threat off the bench.
This week, unsurprisingly, a new title contender emerged as a candidate to steal him away from the Lakers in the offseason.
“If he wants to go back to the area, the [Brooklyn] Nets stuff will pop up again,” an NBA GM told Sean Deveney of Heavy. “He’d probably rather be there than back with the Knicks. He won a gold medal with Kevin Durant and Kyrie (Irving) and they wanted to sign him (in 2019) but the front office wanted more defense.
“Now, he’s kind of shown he can play a role as a 3-point shooter and they need to add more shooting because they’re worried about Joe Harris to start the season. If he leaves the Lakers, there will be interest on both sides with him and the Nets. He could win there.”
This isn’t the first time Anthony has been linked to Brooklyn. He was originally very interested in signing with the Nets back in 2019. Both Durant and Irving showed real interest in playing alongside him at the time. But for whatever reason, the front office never pursued him.
That could change this summer.
There are currently two other teams very interested in taking Anthony off the Lakers’ hands. L.A. also remains an option.
The photos speak for themselves. He looks miserable. https://t.co/VtQoR2hYrQ
— Game 7 (@game7__) April 30, 2022
But if Anthony wants to return a little closer to home, and if he is as frustrated with this past season as he has indicated, the Nets would make a ton of sense.
Where will Anthony ultimately play come 2022-23? Time will tell.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
