NBA Rumors: Former Knicks Teammate Reveals Main Reason Why Carmelo Anthony Is Still A Free Agent

It has been eight months since Carmelo Anthony played his last game in the NBA. After failing to build good chemistry with James Harden and Chris Paul earlier in the 2018-19 NBA season, the Houston Rockets decided to trade Anthony to the Chicago Bulls who didn’t let him play a single game and ended up waiving him in February. After becoming an unrestricted free agent, Anthony is expected to join a team where he has a strong chance of winning his first NBA championship title.

However, two weeks since the 2019 NBA free agency officially started, Carmelo Anthony is yet to find a new home. Several notable free agents have already been claimed from the open market, but it seems like nobody is interested in getting the service of the 10-time NBA All-Star. In an appearance on Sirius XM NBA Radio, which is currently posted on Twitter, retired NBA player Chauncey Billups, who played with Anthony on the New York Knicks and the Denver Nuggets, revealed one of the major reasons why the veteran small forward remains a free agent.

“I’ll tell you what, it’s so crazy — I feel bad for [Carmelo Anthony] and here’s why. ‘Melo was like a good teammate, man. ‘Melo practiced every day. He didn’t miss any games. Now, the only thing I will say — and I’ve even told ‘Melo this — scoring 30 [points] meant too much to ‘Melo. It meant too much because he could have games where he had 20, 22 [points], we win the game and he’s mad. He might have 36 and he’s in there, you know — we lose the game and he’s in there picking everybody up,” Billups said, as quoted by Yahoo Sports.

Find someone who will support you the way Todd Gurley backs Carmelo Anthony https://t.co/FYr1TbIwy8

— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) July 8, 2019

Chauncey Billups definitely has a point. Carmelo Anthony may have spent most of his NBA career as the team’s main man but if he really wants to play for a legitimate title contender right now, he must be willing to accept a reduced role, especially on the offensive end of the floor. At 34, Anthony still has lots of gas left on his tank but no one can deny the fact that he’s already on the near end of his NBA career.

As of now, most NBA teams see Carmelo Anthony more as a reserve than a starter. His stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Rockets proved that Anthony couldn’t coexist with other superstars in the league. Days before the 2019 NBA free agency, Anthony was heavily linked to the Los Angeles Lakers where his close pal LeBron James currently plays.

However, after failing to acquire Kawhi Leonard in free agency, the Lakers snubbed Carmelo Anthony and decided to use their salary cap space to sign DeMarcus Cousins, Jared Dudley, Danny Green, Quin Cook, Troy Daniels, and Avery Bradley. The Lakers also brought back some of their own free agents like Rajon Rondo, Alex Caruso, JaVale McGee, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.