Carmelo Anthony could make sense for the Cleveland Cavaliers down the line

Carmelo Anthony could make sense for the Cleveland Cavaliers but not right now.

It doesn’t seem that long ago when Carmelo Anthony was asking his Oklahoma City Thunder teammates if they thought he should come off the bench. This was of course following the trade from the New York Knicks when Anthony was still seen as a viable co-star. Those days are gone and now Anthony’s legacy is that of a shot-chucker. A guy who shot more than he ever should have and had poor efficiency numbers.

He’d get bounced out of Oklahoma and end up in Houston, where he played just 10 games before finding himself unemployed. A stint in Portland would change the perception of Anthony however, and he would show off his ability to hit shots as a catch-and-shoot option while having his third and first best seasons as a three-point shooter.

His one-year stint in Los Angeles as LeBron James’ running made only helped fortify that new idea of Anthony. A selfless veteran, who can hit shots from all over, even if he’s a liability on defense. This new era of Anthony is why Fear the Sword’s Imari McPherson is suggesting the Cavs go out and sign him.

I don’t have an issue with Anthony on the Cavs, but not right now.

Carmelo Anthony should not be a name the Cleveland Cavaliers chase after right now

The Cavs don’t need another veteran. They have enough players and are deep at just about every position. Adding another veteran player, be it Anthony, Dwight Howard, Demarcus Cousins, or whomever, just doesn’t make sense right now.

For the Cavs, the goal is to see how this team plays as is. If a trade centered around Caris LeVert happens, or if there are injuries to the backcourt, then the Cavs should take a look at Anthony. Anthony can help limit any type of production issue due to injury and could give the Cavs depth in the event of a trade.

If those two things don’t happen, there just isn’t a need or a fit for Anthony in Cleveland. He would be at the end of the bench, barely playing. If he were a better defender, we could have that discussion. He’s historically a negative DBPM player (career -1.2).

Though he did tie his best DBPM score of all time last year, (-0.8), so maybe in a better system, he could produce better results.

But that said, he’s not good enough to take away minutes from the younger players right now. So unless a major injury or a huge trade happens, Anthony may be better off helping another team.