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Portland Trail Blazers: 5 free agency destinations for Carmelo Anthony

By Stevie Cozens

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 29: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Carmelo Anthony #00 of the Portland Trail Blazers hug before the start of Game Five of the Western Conference First Round during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 29, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 29: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Carmelo Anthony #00 of the Portland Trail Blazers hug before the start of Game Five of the Western Conference First Round during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 29, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Carmelo Anthony Destination #5 – New York Knicks

A reunion in the big apple could be on the cards for one of the New York Knicks greatest scorers.

In seven seasons in New York, Melo scored over 10,000 points, averaging 24 a game to go with 7 rebounds. Though it didn’t end well, with ex-general manager Phil Jackson trading Carmelo after they didn’t see eye to eye, the Knicks now have a new direction in the front office.

They may not have embraced rebuild mode fully, but with a bunch of young talent and the potential of around $60 million in cap room in 2021, they have the chance to reset properly.

Though Melo isn’t a top tier free agent anymore, if the Knicks want some scoring in the arena in a year where their offense is likely to be terrible, he could be their man.

The Knicks are better to have a couple of veterans to help with the offense, defense and culture, then fill up the rest of the roster with young guys and see which ones work out.

There are no sure things on the Knicks roster at the moment. Defensive ace Mitchell Robinson is a great shot blocker, but he isn’t the type of player you build around. While RJ Barrett, though he is young and skilled and seems like a great kid, just hasn’t shown he is a building block yet either.

By using as many roster spots as possible on young guys, rather than spending big money on players like Bobby Portis, they are maximizing their cap space. Someone like Melo, on the other hand, can provide better value but will be a positive in the locker room.

The new Knicks front office might not view things this way, but a positive presence in the locker room, combined with the feel-good factor at Madison Square Garden of a Melo return, could be just what this team needs. A one-year-deal at $8 million could be easy to move at the deadline if they have a poor season too.

Carmelo Anthony can still add value to a team on and off the court, but his increased value may mean that the Blazers need to part ways with him. In a year where the cap space in the league is reduced, he could be an option on several teams.

Next. Trail Blazers: Counting down the 10 greatest moments of CJ McCollum’s career. dark