In massive breaking news today courtesy of ESPN insider Woj, it was announced that the Portland Trail Blazers were signing Carmelo Anthony. After nearly a year exiled from the league he joins the team on a non guaranteed contract.
It looked like Carmelo Anthony‘s storied career was over. Traded by the Houston Rockets last year and then waived by the Chicago Bulls, he only played ten games all season. Not only was he ineffective on court but there were rumours of a bad attitude after previous stops with the Thunder and Knicks ended badly. But Neil Olshey and the Portland Trail Blazers have given him one more chance.
The breakdown of the deal is a non guaranteed veterans minimum contract very similar to what Dwight Howard signed. Per Bobby Marks, this will depend on if he stays on the roster till the January seventh guarantee date.
* $14,490 per day. Cap hit will be based off if Anthony makes it past the Jan. 7 cut date. https://t.co/SqhOeuKcrM
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) November 15, 2019
There have been rumours of interest between the two parties in the past and Olshey even pitched Anthony and his agent on coming to Portland around the time he was traded to the Thunder. Though this obviously didn’t happen, Olshey kept in touch.
With the Blazers now in an injury crisis, Olshey reached out again this week as his team slipped to a four and eight record. A poor enough record for 13th in the west, this team is lacking bodies at the forward spot and it even seems like Damian Lillard has struggled with his massive offensive workload.
Though this move may seem risky, this Blazers team is struggling to score. Anthony can come in and get the offense moving, and will be a far better option on offense than Anthony Tolliver or Kent Bazemore.
By agreeing on a non guarantee they can waive him if he doesn’t add value on or off the court. Fans and management alike are worried about his defense, but the Blazers defense hasn’t exactly set the world on fire this year. Anthony will play the four and at 6’9 he will likely still be able to rebound his position. If he can do that while being stout in the post then he won’t be a disaster on that end.
Blazer fans may be concerned by this signing but the non guaranteed deal takes away some of the risk. Anthony may still be able to score the ball efficiently, and if this is the case then he can give them the early season kickstart they so badly need. He is one of the greatest scorers of all-time and this is likely his last chance in an NBA uniform. Just for now, the Blazers and Anthony need each other badly. Heres hoping it works out for both parties.