Should the Portland Trail Blazers bring Carmelo Anthony back next year?

Carmelo Anthony has been a surprise feel good story on the Portland Trail Blazers this year, should they look to bring him back next season?

There were a lot of doubters when it was announced that Carmelo Anthony was returning to the NBA, signing a contract with the Portland Trail Blazers in November.

His signing has largely been a success though. Some clutch plays in games, combined with surprising defense and decent production has meant he has been a great signing on the veterans minimum. When this team was desperate, Melo stepped up and has filled the gap at power-forward all year.

Though his efficiency has waned a bit in the month of February, he is a good enough shooter that this should spring back in the next week or two. Overall it has been a good season for him, and most of all he has proven he still belongs in the NBA.

The big question is whether the Blazers bring him back next year after the value he added this season. He said he wants to come back next year, and though he may want it to be on a contender that option may not be out there.

There’s a few things to consider when deciding if both parties want to agree to a return next year.

Money is the first thing. The Blazers aren’t in a position to offer a 36-year-old Carmelo Anthony anything more than the minimum next year. Mainly because they will be over the cap and won’t want to use an exception on him. The veterans minimum makes sense, but only if Melo agrees to that. He played on the vet min this season but that was because that was all that was offered.

Though it seems unlikely, next season he may have offers of more money from other teams or maybe wants one last crack at getting a larger deal. If this was the case then he wouldn’t be brought back.

The second and more important piece is his fit. With the return of Zach Collins, Melo would be relegated to the bench. His bench fit may not be great as he isn’t versatile and needs to play with other defensive pieces due to his limitations on that end.

He can only play the four now meaning he probably has around 14 – 20 minutes a night if he was to return next year. Maybe this is enough for him. But he may still want a 30-plus-minute a night role.

When Melo first joined the team, Damian Lillard commented on how he led the team huddle a few nights prior to games and was a really stabilising presence in the locker-room. Even if he only played 18 minutes a night he would be a strong locker room presence on a relatively young team.

On the Blazers side of things he can still make plays at the end of games. His game winner against the Raptors is proof of his clutch gene. Teams also have to guard him, especially in the post. He is big and strong, and even if he isn’t efficient down there anymore, the opposing teams four or five that defend him have to respect his game.

If the Blazers need some backup at the four and Melo doesn’t mind coming off the bench, then this could be a good signing for another season. Melo is in good shape and still tries on defense, his rebounding is still at a strong level and he can shoot the lights out even if he is streaky these days. Though his fit probably isn’t as great with the returning Collins and Jusuf Nurkic, he can still score and is great value at the minimum.

His finish to the season may decide his fate for next year, let’s hope he can be part of a strong finish to the season and a playoff berth. He still has a lot left in the tank and it would be great to see him back in the postseason.