3 Reasons why Carmelo Anthony's NBA career could be over

The general consensus among basketball experts is that Carmelo Anthony is certain to be a future Hall of Famer. Anthony is not only one of the best NBA scorers of all-time but is also one of the best players to grace the NBA since the turn of the century.

Despite Anthony's reputation as being one of the best players of the last decade, the 34-year-olds value has declined greatly over the last 18 months. Since leaving the Knicks in 2017, Anthony has been deemed surplus to requirements by three different teams.

Firstly, things didn't work out for Melo in Oklahoma, as the team traded the player after just one year. His season with the Thunder was statistically the worst of his career and Anthony's time in OKC culminated with him being benched for large periods of the playoff series against the Jazz.

Melo was traded to the Atlanta Hawks at the end of the season, although the franchise had no interest in the former All-Star and immediately bought the player out. Anthony quickly signed a $2.4 million veterans minimum contract with the Rockets, but his stint in Houston lasted just 10 games.

Melo is currently without a team, and a report this week claimed that NBA executives believe that Anthony's career in the league is over. Here we will look at the three reasons why the 10-time All-Star may have played his final game in the NBA.

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#3 No Defense

Carmelo Anthony struggled on defense with the Oklahoma City Thunder last season

Carmelo Anthony is still capable of dropping 20 points on any given night, although his defensive ability has proved to be a constant liability for his team.

During his lone season in Oklahoma, the team was significantly worse defensively whenever Anthony was on the court. Anthony's lack of defensive skills was also a major factor in the Rockets decision to part ways with the player after just 10 games.

Reports have claimed that teams will not take 10-time All-Star on due to his defensive shortcomings, and it seems that franchises are no longer willing to overlook Anthony's defensive frailties.

#2 Other Interests

Anthony during his spell with the Knicks

Carmelo Anthony has never won an NBA Championship, although he has enjoyed an incredible career spanning more than a decade. The 34-year-old has been named to the All-Star team on 10 occasions, in addition to leading the league in points-per-game in the 2012-13 NBA season.

The former Knicks man is also only one of six players in NBA history to record at least 24,000 points, 6,000 rebounds, 2,500 assists, and at least 1,000 steals and 3-point field goals.

Anthony has achieved it all on the court, and the player has already prepared for life after the NBA. Melo has already appeared in the popular show Sons of Anarchy, while he also made a cameo in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. The three-time Olympic gold medalist has even founded his own soccer club, so it appears that Anthony will be fine without the NBA.

#1 Not wanting to play for a non-contender

Anthony joined the Rockets due to his desire to compete

Despite all the gloom regarding Carmelo Anthony's current state and his future in the league, the most likely reason that the 34-year-old will not play another game is due to his own desire.

It is virtually guaranteed that at least one team in the NBA would be willing to take on his veteran's minimum deal, especially when you consider the number of bad contracts around the league. Despite this, it is questionable whether Anthony would be willing to play for a team that is not a contender.

Anthony was even reluctant to join the Oklahoma City Thunder, so it remains to be seen if he will be willing to join a non-contender such as the Bulls or Suns. There is still a place for Melo in the NBA, although his future will come down to how much passion he has left to play basketball for a non-contend