NBA free agent Carmelo Anthony is back in the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland picked up the veteran star after his league hiatus during the 2019-20 season, giving him the chance to resurrect his stranded career. Anthony averaged 15.4 points per game for them in 58 regular season appearances. Now he’s signing a deal to send him back to the squad in 2020-2021.
Shams Charania of The Athletic broke the news.
Anthony wanted to show loyalty to the Trail Blazers, who gave him the opportunity to return to the NBA last season. He understands what to expect in Portland, where he will play a key role on a potential candidate. https://t.co/3AiNteh9GN
– Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 21, 2020
So far this season, the Blazers have traded or signed Robert Covington, Derrick Jones, Jr., Rodney Hood and Enes Kanter. Three of these four players will occupy minutes in Anthony’s privileged positions: powerful striker and small striker. With Zach Collins, who spent much of last season injured, Anthony’s teammates will leave him much less room to play. Presumably signing with the Blazers means accepting a smaller role, likely off the bench.
We will bring you the terms of the contract when we have them.
Update:
Charania now reports that Anthony is signing a one year contract.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski classified the agreement as a minimum level.
