Should Carmelo Anthony be the Miami Heat’s off-season catch?
Miami Heat team president Pat Riley has made it abundantly clear he doesn’t care for draft picks.
In his 23 years with the team, Riley has championed the selection of over 30 players, but only a handful have gone on to become part of Miami’s long-term rotation.
"“My opinion on draft picks? Yes, they’re valuable,” Riley told the Palm Beach Post. “They’re valuable to trade for veteran players that have talent if you can get one."
Keeping with his logic, it stands to assume that Miami is on the hunt for at least one major piece this off-season to beef up their playoff ready roster. Dion Waiters and Josh Richardson can potentially be first options, but snagging a battle-tested scorer this summer could be the difference between a deep run and another first round exit.
Though the circumstances around Kawhi Leonard might make him receptive to Miami’s flirting, the Heat could make a move on one of the NBA’s most controversial figures: Carmelo Anthony.
Anthony is entering the final year of a two-year contract and is on pace to earn $28 million. For the Oklahoma City Thunder, Anthony has been nothing short of selfish, refusing to come off the bench despite playing well below is usual ability through the season and playoffs.
Miami is headed towards a beefy salary schedule with few proven leaders but has the resources to make space for Anthony. Should he opt-in, a package of Goran Dragic and Josh Richardson could entice the Thunder who have to consider another rebuild if Paul George flees.
Less likely, Anthony could opt-out of his deal and sign a veteran minimum deal if joining Miami outweighed the potential for a huge payday in 2019 and beyond.
The Thunder posted an 18-10 record when Anthony scored 20 or more points. For Miami, leading the way with even 20 points per game would be a welcome gift, considering the uncertainty around Waiters’ contributions and Richardson’s growth next season.
Riley has worked his magic in pulling superstars for brief stints in the past, so the chances of swinging Anthony might be greater than at first glance. Details aside, Anthony moving to Miami is volatile. He offers an incredible upside for an identity-less team but his track record could fashion Miami’s undoing.
The Power of Friendship
The NBA has no shortage of BFF’s. Like any workplace, players regularly gallivant with each other, forming bonds that cross even the most competitive of boundaries.
None of the league’s pairing are more noteworthy than the “Banana Boat Crew”. Comprised of Anthony, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Paul, this group is bound by more than the hardwood.
In between taking joint vacations, the team has shared the stage at the ESPYs and the 2018 NBA All-Star Weekend, speaking on the social responsibilities of athletes. Though the four have yet to play in the NBA together, they’ve often discussed the possibility of forming a super team.
The likelihood of the stars aligning to create such a team are slim, but seeing two of the crew share the court is a real possibility. Wade, whose future in Miami is still shrouded in mystery could stand as a bargaining power to lead Anthony to South Beach.
If Wade’s word isn’t enough, joining Miami’s storied franchise could be the turning point in Anthony’s career. With the support of Miami’s elite training staff, Anthony could blossom into his peak physical form, taking nods from the work done to Wade and James Johnson before him.
At his best, Anthony is a lethal scorer. His ability to dice up the mid-range is an underrated tool in a league that favors attacks at the rim or from 3-point land.
Though his past is sullied by poor ownership and mismanagement, joining Miami as an undisputed first option could make for a career year, bolstered by a young core that can compliment Anthony’s deficiencies on defense.
The Real Melo
In the NBA optimism is magical. It makes the difference for players that return from horrific injuries, such as Gordon Hayward. The power of positive thinking creates once, scratch that, twice-in-a-lifetime moments, making Russell Westbrook averaging a triple-double a repeatable feat.
But optimism can run its course. For every Hayward there are Brandon Roys whose bodies fail their potentially illustrious careers. In the NBA optimism is balanced by reality.
For Anthony, the reality is that is past precedes him. In 2016, amidst Team USA’s gold medal Olympic Basketball run, Anthony’s will to win in the NBA was put on notice.
Speaking with ESPN’s Marc Stein, Anthony shared the solace he finds in his career thus far.
"“Most athletes don’t have an opportunity to say that they won a gold medal, better yet three gold medals,” Anthony told ESPN. “I would be very happy walking away from the game knowing that I’ve given the game everything I have, knowing I played on a high level at every level: high school, college, won [a championship at Syracuse] in college and possibly three gold medals. “I can look back on it when my career is over — if I don’t have an NBA championship ring — and say I had a great career.”"
Accepting one’s lot in life is an amazing life skill. Through his NBA career, Anthony has matured from a player who forced his way out of a small-market Denver Nuggets team to a eventual basketball hall-of-famer.
No amount of experience however, can replace the will to win.
Challenging An Ego
Miami needs a go-to scoring presence who won’t back down from adversity. Part of that adversity involves joining a team that asks every player to buy into it’s vision.
Anthony’s track record is scarred by an ego not even Madison Square Garden could contain. In New York, he played chicken with Phil Jackson, refusing to waive his no-trade clause seemingly out of spite. In Oklahoma, Anthony scoffed at coming off the bench to deepen the Thunder’s rotations.
"“Ay, P, they say I gotta come off the bench,” Anthony laughed in a preseason press event."
Moments and comments like these are unshakeable, even for the associations’ best. A year after being labeled a snake, cupcake and everything in between, Kevin Durant is still wrestling with being the superstar who took the easy route.
Coming to Miami would be a challenge unlike anything Anthony has faced. It’s been four years since James left Miami to return to Cleveland, and Riley and James’ relationship is still subject to scrutiny. Some suggest buying into Riley’s and head coach Erik Spoesltra’s plan entailed sacrifices James wasn’t’ fully able to accept, given his position as an all-time great.
In Miami, Anthony would become a leader in ways that have yet to be asked in his 15 seasons. Balancing the act of mentoring Miami’s youth while keeping his ego in check when getting an earful from the Riley, Spoelstra or Udonis Haslem could be too much to bear for a player willing to jeopardize a playoff team like the Thunder.
Next: Miami Heat: Rook 1 and Rook 2 getting more confident in their games
Miami will gladly welcome a renewed Anthony. Just be sure to leave your ego at the front door.