Carmelo Anthony's possible return to the Portland Trail Blazers hit a snag when the team acquired two players who could soak up minutes at power forward. In separate deals, the Rip City squad traded for Robert Covington from the Houston Rockets, while also picking up former Miami Heat high-flyer Derrick Jones Jr. in free agency.

This, of course, makes Melo the odd man out considering the two recently acquired players are much younger than the 36-year-old veteran. But according to The Athletic's David Aldridge, Portland still has the desire to bring Anthony back in Oregon to split minutes at the forward spot. The Blazers reportedly want to reward the 10-time All-Star following important contributions to the team in their short but meaningful playoff run inside the bubble.

Judging by Carmelo Anthony's earlier remarks, it seems he also shares the same affinity for the Blazers and want to continue playing for the only team to give him a chance last season. Melo was out of the league for almost a year when Portland came calling. The one-time NBA scoring champion laid waste to those “washed-up” claims, averaging 15.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 58 games.

Melo was comfortable playing third fiddle to stars Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, as he enjoyed an efficient season shooting the ball at a 43,0 percent clip from the field and 38.5 percent from deep.

However, the Blazers might have to outbid the New York Knicks since Anthony reportedly is open to reuniting with his old team. Obviously, Melo would have a better chance of winning in Portland, albeit with another minimum deal, while NY could offer him a bit more money for his services.