Carmelo Anthony hasn't competed in a professional basketball game since April 2022, and that isn't down to a lack of outside interest.
The 10-time NBA All-Star said on 7PM in Brooklyn the New Orleans Pelicans had reached out to him, and he received overtures from China.
7PM in Brooklyn @7PMinBrooklynCarmelo x Barmelo<br><br>Dropping Thursday. <a href="">
Anthony officially announced his retirement in May, calling it a career after 19 seasons.
Carmelo Anthony @carmeloanthonyThank you <a href="">#STAYME7O</a> <a href="">
It looked like Melo's run in the Association was coming to an abrupt end after his ill-fated 10-game spell with the Houston Rockets in 2018-19. Some even questioned whether he was being frozen out of the league.
Anthony eventually signed with the Portland Trail Blazers early into the 2019-10 season and became an effective role player. Even during his final year with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021-22, he averaged 13.3 points and shot 37.5 percent from beyond the arc.
The timeline is unclear as to when the Pelicans made contact with the 39-year-old.
Assuming it was before or during the 2022-23 season, he would've provided some depth to a frontcourt that ultimately featured Zion Williams for just 29 games. Thanks to the emergence of Herbert Jones and Trey Murphy III as alternatives at the 4, New Orleans still notched 42 wins and qualified for the play-in tournament.
Unlike some other legends, Anthony didn't receive a farewell tour in which fans and his peers could celebrate his on-court legacy. Based on the fact the conversations with the Pels went nowhere, it sounds like it was something that wasn't on his radar anyway.
