Carmelo Anthony and the Portland Trail Blazers were just eliminated in five games by the Los Angeles Lakers, but Melo is already thinking about next season.

Anthony found a comfort level in Portland after his NBA exile, and he’s praying that the Blazers will have him back.

Via Jason Quick of The Athletic:

“I pray that it can be Portland, honestly,” Anthony said after scoring 27 points. “I think I’ve found a home in Portland. I got comfortable with the organization, I got comfortable with the guys on the team, they got comfortable with me, and at this point in my career, I do think that is the best fit for me.”

Without Damian Lillard, Anthony went out strong in Game 5, going for 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting in 40 minutes. For the series, he averaged 15.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 41.2% from the field and 42.1% on 3-pointers.

In 58 regular-season games, the 36-year-old averaged 15.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 43.0% overall and 38.5% from 3-land. He played a key role during the Blazers’ run in the bubble seeding games, hitting a number of clutch shots to help them qualify for the postseason.

Melo doesn’t see any reason to go anywhere else after all this:

“Whenever you find a situation that is comfortable and allows you to be who you are, you want to stay in that situation,” Anthony said. “There is no need to try different things when something is working.”

After the Blazers’ loss, ESPN’s Bobby Marks outlined the Blazers’ options when it comes to re-signing Melo:

Because he was on a one-year contract, Portland can offer Anthony a starting salary of $3.0 million, the $3.6 million biannual exception or use part of their $9.3 million midlevel exception.

Given Anthony’s solid contributions and role as a team leader, it would be a surprise if he’s not back in Portland next season.