The Brooklyn Nets: Pros And Cons of Signing Carmelo Anthony

It has been reported within the last hour by Ian Begley (@IanBegley) of SNY that Carmelo Anthony has been participating in informal workouts with some Brooklyn Nets players in Los Angeles. What could this mean for the team, and how could they benefit?

The Brooklyn Nets interest at this time in Melo is unknown. However, it seems rather beneficial for him that the Nets players clearly enjoy working out and playing pick up games with him. It would appear that some of the Nets players are attempting to get Melo on a roster, whether it be on their own or not.

Last month Caris LeVert was on ESPN’s “The Jump”, where he said that the Nets had been having informal workouts all summer in Los Angeles, and that they had been organized by new franchise co-lead Kyrie Irving.

Now, let’s assume that the Brooklyn Nets do have interest in Carmelo Anthony. This is beneficial for several reasons, while conversely it could also create a negative impact. First, let’s discuss why it could be a wise move to add the 35 year old NBA veteran.

In the history of the NBA, Carmelo Anthony has proven himself to be one of the most scintillating players the game has seen. His scoring ability for the majority of his career was met with dazzling performances, including his career high 62 point game in 2014. While that isn’t the iteration of Melo that the Brooklyn Nets would be getting, we saw what he did to the Nets just a season ago. Scoring 28 points on 75 percent from the field and 66 percent from three, so all is not lost with him. He can still very easily pick a team apart, as in his ten games with the Houston Rockets, he scored at least 20 points in three of those games.

Melo would add a necessary veteran presence to this Nets roster. Though he’s never been to the NBA Finals, he’s dealt with the hardships of being in New York’s media market. He’s one of the only major players in the last two decades that welcomed and embraced the hardships that come with playing in the big apple. (This is also something that Nets fans have worried about with Kyrie and Kevin Durant.) For the Nets to have a player like that, could speak volumes.

NOTE: It was just reported by SB Nation’s @NetsDaily that according to a league source, the workouts with Nets player and Melo were merely “friends working out with friends.”

But for all intents and purposes, let’s continue with the conversation at hand.

The Brooklyn Nets would notably have to waive a player before signing Melo to what would presumably be a veteran’s minimum contract. So the question then becomes, would the player they waive contribute more or less than what Melo brings to the table? The answer, likely regardless of who the player is would be less.

Unfortunately for the Brooklyn Nets, this isn’t low risk-high reward, it’s medium risk-medium reward. Melo would be a pretty seamless fit in the Nets second unit, however you also have to assume that the comments he made on ESPN’s First Take were as heartfelt as he made them out to be.

Carmelo has to change. He has to adapt, and it sounds like he may have. It sounds as if he’s willing to accept a role coming off of the bench now that the reality of his status in the league has changed. If he’s truly willing to do that, then the Nets can stretch value out of him, and they don’t need 30 points a night like the Knicks did when they had Melo, because that’s not his role.

As far as the “cons” of the Brooklyn Nets signing Melo, he’s notoriously been a pretty poor defender. That’s something that Brooklyn cannot afford, as a season ago they ranked in the bottom of the league in opponent points scored in the paint, off turnovers, and second chance points. A downgrade in wing defense isn’t in the cards for this team.

Maybe it is nothing, and maybe it’s just friends being friends. Maybe something will develop, and the current Brooklyn Nets players will see something that they think could benefit them in search of a championship. Is Carmelo Anthony that piece? We’ll have to wait and see.

But if there’s anything that we can definitively say, it’s that Melo deserves one last shot.