NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith has shared what an assistant NBA coach told him on why Carmelo Anthony remains a free agent.
In an episode of Power 105’s The Breakfast Club, Smith shared the conversation he had with an assistant coach about Anthony. According to the coach, the 10-time All-Star remains teamless because he feels that he has no place in his rotation. As such, given Anthony's stature as a future Hall of Famer, the coach will likely get criticized by not fielding him in. As transcribed by Heavy:
“One coach said this to me, he said: ‘Stephen A this brotha is a future Hall of Famer, but I don’t think he works for my nine man rotation. How am I supposed to look down at the end of my bench and see a Hall of Famer and not think I’m going to take heat for that? Why would I want that headache? I know from roster 9 to 15, he clearly could be on any roster in the NBA. The problem is, most of those dudes are marginal talents without his resume that you could justify and get away with it and get peace of mind. That’s why he’s not in the league.”
Peep the full interview below:
With less than a month before training camp, there are no signals whatsoever that Anthony is closing in on a deal. He did reveal that he and his agent have spoken to several NBA teams. He also pointed out that he is willing to take any role so as long as the coach clearly defines what they need from him.
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