King James Gospel
Fansided

Two Free Agents who could help bolster the Cavs Bench

By Gage Morgan

Nov 4, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31), forward Lamar Stevens (8), forward Kevin Love (0), forward Caris LeVert (3) and forward Cedi Osman (16) celebrate as they hold a lead in the third quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Allison Farrand-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 4, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31), forward Lamar Stevens (8), forward Kevin Love (0), forward Caris LeVert (3) and forward Cedi Osman (16) celebrate as they hold a lead in the third quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Allison Farrand-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Cavs
Carmelo Anthony, Los Angeles Lakers. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) /

2 Free Agents to bolster the Cavs’ bench: Carmelo Anthony

In the last few years, Carmelo Anthony has finally accepted being a role player. In 2003, he was drafted only two spots behind Lebron James at the 3rd pick by the Denver Nuggets. As a Nugget, Carmelo put up 24.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. On the Nuggets, he was the primary scorer and leader for the team. He was also the same guy for the New York Knicks. In 2011, the New York Knicks made a blockbuster trade to get Carmelo, but lost a lot of their depth in return. As the face of the New York Knicks, Melo put up 24.7 points, 7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. Even with being seen as a superstar, Melo still couldn’t find success in the playoffs.

In 2017, Melo decided that he wanted to try to win a ring with other all-stars. He was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder to create a big 3 with Russell Westbrook and Paul George. On the Thunder, Melo’s stats began to dip down to 16.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. However, this is when the Thunder began to want Melo to come off the bench. Melo did not want that.

On July 25, 2018, the Thunder decided to move Carmelo to the Atlanta Hawks, but he only lasted 5 days there before being waived. This is when he started to begin to become a journeyman. In August 2018, the Houston Rockets decided to sign him, but then traded him to the Chicago Bulls in January 2019. Melo was again waived in February 2019.

Things were uncertain about his career at that time, but then he received a chance in November 2019 from the Portland Trail Blazers. He did the best he could with that chance by putting up 15.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, and was willing to accept the bench role. He was rewarded with another contract by the Blazers for his play. The last contract he received was by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021.

I believe that Carmelo Anthony could be a good guy to have on the Cavs bench. He is a ten-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA player. With a depth of LeVert, Dean Wade, Cedi Osman, and Melo, the Cavs could have an easier time dealing with injuries to their wing rotation. Melo could be a voice along with Kevin Love in the locker room as well. The Cavs could give him an opportunity to become a champion when other teams couldn’t. Just imagine LeBron when he sees Melo winning a ring on his former team.