“I’ll Be Done”: Showing Impeccable Athleticism & Shooting Range, Carmelo Anthony Drops a Subtle Hint of Retirement

There’s one thing that remains common with every legendary player nearing his retirement. Be it Roger Federer in tennis or Blazers’ Carmelo Anthony in the NBA, they stand firm on the statement that they’ll retire once they stop having fun. 

Melo was at the peak of his career while he was playing with the New York Knicks. Post that, it felt as if he had run out of fuel. His failed friendship with the Rockets proved to be yet another forgetful stint. That’s when the Blazers showed faith in him and resurrected his him as a credible player. Today, Melo is back in the state of choosing for himself rather than depending on others.

Carmelo Anthony let out the possibility of staying in the game

Recently, Melo posted a video on his Instagram account where he looked absolutely dapper while practicing basketball. He wrote a fitting caption, “Moment I stop having fun wit, I’ll be done wit it #STAYME70”

A lot can be inferred from this caption. It could be that he is far from done. Melo certainly looks like a person who is having a lot of fun playing. Plus, he had earlier also shown how his love for the game did not allow him to retire just because a franchise deceived him. 

The 36-YO averaged 15.4 points at 43% FG and also scored three-pointers at an accuracy of 38.5% this past season. He proved that his clean shooting skills are not rusty. With that kind of performance, many teams will be eager to house him this off-season.

Some franchises may seek to swoop up Blazers’ Melo

When he signed with the Blazers in 2019, his contract was a non-guaranteed deal. However, it was later changed to a guaranteed deal due to for his consistently good performances. Today, the Blazers do not have enough salary cap to re-sign Melo without one of the parties having to adjust. They’ll have a $10 million mid-level exception available in 2021, but it’s unclear whether this will be enough to motivate them to hire Melo. 

Nevertheless, for this NBA veteran, teams like Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Lakers, and the New York Knicks will stay worthy options. Leaving the Lakers aside, all other teams have enough cap potential to attract him. However, considering the fact that the Lakers will be hugely benefitted by a good three-point shooter who also happens to be LeBron James’ friend, this appears to be a real option.