When I first heard The Ringer’s report that the Sixers were amongst the teams pursuing Carmelo Anthony, my first thought was — why? Why would either side, Melo or the Sixers brass, be interested in making something like this happen?
Signing a washed up star like Melo would be a very underwhelming end to the offseason, especially after hearing Brett Brown proclaim that the Sixers were “star hunting” this summer.
Once upon a time Carmelo Anthony was one of, if not the best offensive players in the NBA. He averaged over 20 points in his first 13 seasons as a pro and established himself as one of the deadliest isolation scorers in the league.
Fast forward to the past few seasons, and Melo is a shell of what he once was.
Many believed his departure from New York to OKC would be a breathe of fresh air for Melo, and that playing third fiddle to Russ and PG would actually benefit him as he crept up in age.
And as we all know, that didn’t happen, and now Melo is back on the market looking to sign with his third team in three years.
Besides LeBron James, once most NBA superstars reach a certain age their game starts steadily declining. Melo has reached his peak, and he’s been on his way down for a few years now. I believe he still has the ability to be an effective scorer. He still has his shot and enough athletic ability to create his own if need be.
In theory, a player like Carmelo Anthony would be a perfect fit for a team like the Sixers. He’s a veteran who could mentor the young core, and he has the ability to be a lethal sixth man off the bench. But, in reality, Melo’s ego is too big for him to be willing to take on a role like that. When he was asked about the possibility of him coming off the bench for OKC, he literally laughed in the reporter’s face. In his mind, he’s still ‘too good’ for all that.
Not to mention that the Sixers already have more than a full roster for this upcoming season and nearly no cap room. If Melo did decide to come here, it would on the veteran minimum, and there’s no shot he’s willing to do that.
According to The Ringer article, the Houston Rockets are still the favorite to sign Melo and I’m guessing that’s where he’ll most likely end up.
Signing Melo just seems too far fetched at this point for the Sixers. Honestly, I think it’s still more likely that they get Kawhi than sign Carmelo.