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Why the Washington Wizards Should Sign Carmelo Anthony

By Matt Levin

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 2: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the Houston Rockets shoots the ball against the Brooklyn Nets on November 2, 2018 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 2: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the Houston Rockets shoots the ball against the Brooklyn Nets on November 2, 2018 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Washington Wizards lack depth at small forward. Signing Carmelo Anthony would help this issue and be very fun to watch.

Carmelo Anthony simply wants to play basketball. The former NBA superstar has been out of the league since the start of last season. Many say he is too washed up to be productive in the league again. The 35 year old desperately wants the chance to prove his critics wrong, but needs the chance to do so. The Washington Wizards should give Melo this chance.

Anthony is looking to play in his 17th season in the NBA. Melo is a 10 time All-Star, two time All-NBA Second team member, and led the league in scoring in 2013. Melo has been a member of four NBA teams, most notably the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks, where he spent the majority of his career. For his career, Anthony averages 24 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. It is safe to say that he has been one of the best players in the NBA over the past decade and a half.

However, things dropped off real fast for Anthony once he left the Knicks in the summer of 2017. Anthony joined the Oklahoma City Thunder, spending the whole 2017-2018 season there. As a member of the Thunder, Melo averaged 16.2 points and shot just over 40 percent from the field, both the worst in his career at the time.

Last season, Melo signed with the Houston Rockets, but was traded away after only 13 games because he was not a good fit on the team and had defensive issues. Melo has not seen the court since.

For Anthony, he does not want his career to be over. He believes he still has a lot left in the tank and can be productive on a team. There are multiple videos of Anthony in the gym working on his game and trying to stay in shape, as he wants be ready if given an NBA opportunity.

Melo has received some interest from teams around the league, but has not signed anywhere, meaning that he is still an unrestricted free agent. The Washington Wizards should give Melo an opportunity.

If the Wizards were to sign Melo, it would likely be a one year deal at the veteran’s minimum. This deal is cheap and low risk-high reward.

Currently, the Wizard’s main small forwards are Troy Brown and C.J. Miles. This position is extremely thin. Adding Melo would give the Wizards some more options at small forward and relief if one were to get injured.

If he signed with the Wizards, Anthony would have a good chance to start. Troy Brown is entering his second season in the league. Brown looked very promising at the end of last season and in summer league, but is likely not yet ready to enter the starting lineup. C.J. Miles is a veteran who  usually comes off the bench. He also just underwent surgery to repair a stress fracture in his foot. While Miles will likely be ready to play at the start of the season, it may not be the best idea to immediately insert him into the starting lineup.

Anthony also adds a much needed veteran to the team. Most of the Wizards are very young and need development. Anthony could be a leader in the locker room and help develop guys like Troy Brown and Rui Hachimura.

Adding Anthony would also be a low risk for the Wizards. His situation would be similar to what the Wizards are doing with Isaiah Thomas. Carmelo would be signing a one year minimum deal. If the situation does not work out, he will be a free agent next summer and out of the Wizards hands. The Wizards are expected to be a lottery team next season and not compete for the playoffs. If signing Melo does not workout and the team ends up losing a few more games next season, it would not be a huge deal.

Those against wanting the Wizards to sign Anthony believe that he would not be a good fit with the team. The Wizards were one of the worst defensive teams in the league last season. Adding Melo, who is known for his very poor defense, would only make the problem worse.

That said, Melo is an offensive machine. He can light teams up at will, creating a huge spark for the Wizards offense. If Melo joined Bradley Beal and Isaiah Thomas, their opponents would have to strap in defensively for every game as those three would be incredibly hard to stop offensively.

Also, adding Melo to the Wizards would be incredibly fun to watch. A starting lineup of Isaiah Thomas, Bradley Beal, Carmelo Anthony, Rui Hachimura, and Thomas Bryant would have me watching all 82 games next season.

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