“Could be the perfect like-for-like replacement” NBA Analyst suggests Heat to acquire Carmelo Anthony to fill PJ Tucker’s void
Carmelo Anthony and Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler
The offseason is upon us and after draft picks, teams are looking at NBA free agency to freshen up and add role players to their roaster. Free agency began on June 30, but there is still very much talent up for grab. Teams after some summer trades and draft picks have a clear vision of their roster, so it’s no better time to pen down some of the free agents from the available pool. One such intriguing and proven player available on the list is Carmelo Anthony, while he is 38 years old, he is still a useful star for any franchise. One analyst put him on the Miami Heat team to solidify their chances further in the upcoming season.
Carmelo signed a 1-year contract with the Lakers last season and after the conclusion of the 2022 season, he found himself again searching for the franchise. But this time he might have a better chance of landing a contender franchise. Well if we go by the analyst’s hypothesis, Miami would be that franchise.
Miami Heat and Carmelo Anthony would be a profitable combination
The 3rd overall pick of the 2003 draft came into the league with lots of promises, and he individually lived up to the expectations. 10-time All-Star managed to keep Denver Nuggets in the playoffs and later helped New York Knicks to challenge for the title. He led the league in scoring in 2013, while playing for the Knicks, but couldn’t bring back the glory to the Garden.
After some successful stints with OKC and Portlanders, Melo tried his chances for 1st ring with his good friend LeBron James when he joined the LA team. But Lakers themselves had injury issues, which hampered his hopes for the title. Anthony averaged 13.3 points on 37.5% shooting from the three-point range for the Los Angeles Lakers last season.
Now in 2023, he could be a strong selection for a championship contender team. Talking about the Eastern Conference Finalists, the Heat came just one game away from making the NBA Finals for the second time in three years. Miami Heat is also a veteran-led team with Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, and Bam Adebayo, performing consistently for them.
For Melo, it would be a smoother transition to gel well in the Mimi team and he can have the best support from Erik Spoelstra and Pat Riley in terms of culture and playmaking. Though Anthony is far from his prime, he proved last season that he can still be a key veteran off the bench. His ability to hit the three-point shot consistently, and also help offensively would help Miami extensively.
The Heat, who lost P.J. Tucker this offseason, would love to have a similarly experienced guy in their ranks. Melo would fit perfectly in their bill, who is more of an offensive-minded player and have better coring credentials than Tucker. Carmelo Anthony is not the level of defender that Tucker is, but he could play a similar role for them if he committed to the defensive side of the ball.
It was Jimmy Butler who carried Miami Heat in the postseason, and he nearly had them in the 2022 NBA finals but lacked support from the rest of the team, who crumbled against the Celtic defense. Melo could be the guy providing 15+ points on a nightly basis and help Miami to win their 4th title.
Kunal Chawda
(600 Articles Published)