Is the Melo-to-Boston dream already dead? It could be, according to one report.
In a mailbag published Friday, MassLive’s Brian Robb wrote that multiple league sources have told him that the Celtics are not expected to sign Carmelo Anthony prior to training camp and that he “isn’t a priority at this point.”
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This comes just a few days after Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe wrote that Boston signing Anthony was an idea that was “starting to gain traction.” Jayson Tatum also seemingly approved of the idea, as the Celtics star “liked” a tweet that referenced the possibility of his team bringing in Anthony.
Anthony emerged as a popular name in rumors in the wake of Danilo Gallinari being diagnosed with a torn ACL given that the two veterans fit relatively similar profiles as forwards who could provide some offensive pop and three-point shooting off the bench. There are also plenty of arguments against Anthony, though, including his poor defensive play and lack of postseason success.
If the Celtics are indeed out on Anthony, at least for the time being, they could still explore other external options for replacing Gallinari, or they could give more minutes to some of their own guys early on and re-evaluate in-season.
Last year’s starting frontcourt of Tatum, Al Horford and Robert Williams remains intact for this season, but Grant Williams is currently the only forward off the bench who played regular minutes last year. Second-year player Sam Hauser, who appeared in 26 games last season, could be at the front of the line for more minutes, as Celtics brass have said on multiple occasions that they believe he has the potential to develop into a bigger contributor.
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