Carmelo Anthony has heard his name dragged through the mud quite a bit in recent months. Critics say he is washed up, or that he isn't good for locker room chemistry. However, Melo's camp has been aggressively fighting to break that narrative.

Anthony, now 35 years of age, hasn't played in the NBA since he was released by the Rockets in November. He made just 10 appearances with the team. Despite that fact, the former Syracuse standout is said to be keeping himself in good shape, and he's still looking for a new gig in the league.

Via Heavy.com:

“He has been the scapegoat for a few teams that didn’t play up to their potential,” one source said. “Obviously that is sticking with him. They’re showing teams he can play, but they’re also making the case that the negative reputation stuff is BS, that he is not a team-killer, that other people put blame on him the last few years that he didn’t deserve.”

As previously mentioned, there are some who feel that Anthony can be a locker room distraction. His camp feels otherwise, however:

“That’s the idea,” the source said. “He’s got a lot of friends in the league, he is liked by other players. He’s got friends in the media. He doesn’t get into trouble off the court, he never has. They’re really disputing this whole idea that he’s a team cancer.”

In his 10 appearances with the Rockets last season (two starts), Carmelo Anthony racked up averages of 13.4 points on 40.5 percent shooting from the field (32.8 percent from beyond the arc) and 5.4 rebounds in 29.4 minutes per outing. Those numbers are a far cry from his prime years in the NBA, but surely there is a team that could use a player of his caliber.