The Boston Celtics will head into camp without free agent forward Danilo Gallinari, and while the team has not released a timeline for his return reports out of Italy suggest he could be back in November.
That still leaves a gap, and a rumor floated by Brandon Robinson of Bally Sports is that the Celtics are looking at Carmelo Anthony.
At this point in the offseason, there are not a lot of choices left to fill that forward role in Boston: Anthony, LaMarcus Aldridge, Montrezl Harrell.
Anthony can still help a team — for the past few years he’s been willing to accept a bench role and has been good in those minutes. He averaged a solid 13.3 points and 4.2 rebounds a game last season despite the team falling apart in Los Angeles. Anthony also is popular with other players and would fit in the locker room, where he can be another veteran voice.
But does Carmelo Anthony fit with the Celtics? Anthony’s weakness is defense, and he would be going to a team that prides itself on that end of the court and likely will have a top-five (maybe top three) defense in the league this season. You can say that makes it easier to cover up his weaknesses but is that what Boston wants to do?
Anthony will play for a team that can offer the best combination of playing time, winning, and guaranteed money (it will be the veteran minimum, but he will want that guaranteed). The Celtics have the winning part, but playing time is up for debate (especially once Gallinari returns) and the Celtics may not want to offer 37-year-old Anthony a fully guaranteed deal.
Whether the Knicks or another suitor will offer a better combination of money, playing time and winning remains to be seen. Just don’t expect Anthony to be on the market much longer.
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Celtics rumored to have interest in Carmelo Anthony with Gallinari out originally appeared on NBCSports.com
