Carmelo Anthony Staying in Portland
Carmelo Anthony is finalizing a deal to resign with the Portland Trail Blazers, according to a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic. Anthony was a free agent after signing a one year deal during last season. Melo averaged 15.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game during the 2019-20 campaign. He shot 43% from the floor and over 38% from three point range.
"Anthony wanted to show loyalty to the Trail Blazers, who gave him his opportunity to return to the NBA last season," Charania posted on Twitter. "He understands what to expect in Portland, where he will play a key role on a potential contender."
Melo was though to be out of the league following stints with the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder. He never seemed to click with either squad, and interest in him was minimal as a free agent. When Portland got off to a slow start last season, they were looking for a spark. Melo provided just that as he became an important third option to CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard.
Carmelo Anthony burst onto the national scene as a freshman at Syracuse. He became one of the nation's most prolific scorers and led the Orange to the 2003 National Championship, earning Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament. He was selected by the Denver Nuggets in the subsequent NBA Draft with the third overall pick.
Melo would spend eight seasons with the Nuggets, leading them to the playoffs in seven of those seasons. He was traded to the New York Knicks during the 2010-11 campaign, and spent the next seven years with them. In fact, he led the Knicks to the playoffs multiple times, including the franchise's most recent playoff series victory.
Anthony is one of the NBA's all-time best scorers and has moved up to 14th on the scoring list last season.
