Apparent rumors of the Boston Celtics’ interest in Carmelo Anthony appear to be inaccurate, with the team seemingly content with what they already have available.
Brian Robb of Masslive.com answered questions on a variety of topics and explained why Anthony is not destined to be on the Celtics’ roster:
“The Carmelo Anthony buzz was a hot topic this week after the rumors started swirling about the Celtics’ interest in him last week,” Robb wrote. “However, multiple league sources tell MassLive that the Celtics are not expected to have interest in bringing in the veteran for a signing ahead of training camp. That’s not to say the team is done shaping the roster ahead of the preseason but Anthony isn’t a priority at this point at names that could be brought in. Boston likes a lot of their internal replacement options from what I’ve heard and want to give those names the first crack at minutes.”
The 38-year-old Anthony spent last season with the Los Angeles Lakers and has spent time with six different NBA teams over the course of his 19-year career.
Still Contributing
Anthony delivered modest numbers last season, finishing with averages of 13.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Those are much lower than during his peak years, but made him an option off the bench during the past two seasons.
Finding time for Anthony among some of the current players on the roster could serve as an issue. That’s especially true with some of the younger players likely seen as a more viable option for the Celtics.
Last season, the Celtics came close to capturing an NBA title, reaching the NBA Finals before falling to the Golden State Warriors in six games. That marked their first finals appearance in 12 years, when they dropped a seven-game thriller to the Lakers.
Prior to last year’s effort, the Celtics had been frustrated by playoff exits that included losing in the Eastern Conference finals three times between 2017 and 2020.
Where to Now?
While the Celtics are apparently no longer an option for Anthony, the prospect of him returning to the Lakers could be another consideration. There’s certainly no guarantee that it will happen, but it has been offered as a possibility during the offseason.
Anthony and Lakers superstar LeBron James have maintained a close friendship over the past few decades. That bond could be one reason for bringing him back, but the team could ultimately cut ties with Anthony.
That approach could be based on attempting to wipe away what turned out to be a frustrating campaign for the Lakers. The team entered the 2021-22 season with hopes of contending for their second league title in three years.
Instead, injuries and chemistry issues turned that promise into disaster and kept the Lakers out of the playoffs entirely.
NBA training camps will open up toward the end of this month, which means that the time for Anthony’s window for finding a team to play for continues to grow shorter.
