NBA Rumors: Carmelo Anthony Could Be ‘Muscling Up’ To Return To Knicks Next Season

After the 2019-20 NBA season officially came to an end, veteran small forward Carmelo Anthony immediately started making preparations for his upcoming free agency. According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, Anthony was recently seen draining three-pointers in the gym, and a photo reportedly showed him “shirtless and buffed up.” Berman believes that the 10-time NBA All-Star could be “muscling up” to return to the New York Knicks this fall.

When the Portland Blazers got eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2020 Playoffs, Anthony expressed his desire to re-sign with the team in the 2020 free agency. He said that he had found a home in Portland and become comfortable with the organization and his teammates. However, Berman thinks that if the Knicks successfully acquire Chris Paul from the Oklahoma City Thunder this offseason, there is a strong chance that Melo will follow his close pal and fellow member of the infamous Banana Boat Crew to New York.

“However, if point guard Chris Paul makes his way to the Knicks via a trade, sources have said Anthony is likely to want to follow. Anthony and Paul are close friends who dreamed of playing together in the NBA and saw their alliance in Houston ended prematurely. Both players were represented by Knicks president Leon Rose when he was basketball chief of Creative Artists Agency. A source said Rose is amenable to an Anthony return even without Paul. If Julius Randle is part of a Paul deal, the Knicks will need a starting small forward and power forward. Anthony plays either position.”

It would definitely be interesting to see Anthony return to New York this fall. Before he demanded a trade in the summer of 2017, Melo was considered the face of the Knicks’ franchise for seven years. Having him and Paul on their roster would not only give the Knicks two great mentors to their young core, but the combo could also help them end their playoff drought in the 2020-21 NBA season.

However, at this point in his career, the Knicks may not be an ideal landing spot for an aging superstar like Anthony. As of now, most people would agree that Melo is better off spending his remaining years in the league on a team that could give him a legitimate chance of winning his first NBA championship title. According to a previous The Inquisitr article, some of the best free agency destinations for the veteran small forward include the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, and the Miami Heat.