Portland Trail Blazers: 3 Free Agency destinations for Carmelo Anthony

The Portland Trail Blazers are in a state of flux at the moment. With a new coach and then the chance of major personnel changes or trades, there’s a chance some of the role players don’t come back.

NBA Legend Carmelo Anthony could be one of those. The future Hall-of-Famer can still add value to NBA teams with his three-point shooting, but on a Trail Blazers team that is trying to improve from one of the worst defenses in the league, he may not be a great fit anymore.

Which 3 destinations make sense for Carmel Anthony in the 2022 season?

Carmelo Anthony destination #1 – Los Angeles Lakers

The best fit for Melo at age 37, is next to an elite rim protector in a strong NBA defense. With his lack of foot speed or lateral movement and not being able to protect the rim, he needs to play next to a strong big like Anthony Davis.

Though Davis doesn’t like playing the five all the time, he could defend the quicker threats on the floor, leaving Melo to defend the bigger players if need be. In the NBA Playoffs, he competently defended Nikola Jokic in the post. Though he doesn’t always make the best decisions in help or off the ball, he is strong and can fight for position with bigger players.

The Lakers lack of offense on their second unit has been a problem in the last few years with LeBron James on the team. Melo’s ability to catch and shoot from the corners at six-foot-seven makes him a great fit. LeBron fits best with guys that can stretch the floor, as he can hit them with cross-court or skip passes out of the pick and roll.

Players like Alex Caruso or Wesley Matthews are excellent two-way options for the Lakers, but can’t create their own shot. Melo on the second unit could create shots for himself to keep the second unit rolling.