Carmelo Anthony could be returning to New York City, but not to the borough of Manhattan.
Sources have disclosed to SNY that the former Knicks All-Star has been participating in informal team workouts and scrimmages with the Brooklyn Nets while the team is in Los Angeles. According to Nets guard Caris LeVert, Kyrie Irving has called the team to Los Angeles where he organized the unofficial workouts. At this point, it's unclear if Melo and the Nets are in contract negotiations but Anthony did reveal to Stephen A. Smith that he's been in talks with several teams including the Lakers and Clippers in hopes of finding a slot on their roster.
It should be noted that Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony have a close relationship. If Melo is able to leverage this into a spot on the Nets, then Brooklyn would have to waive a player, as all 15 of their guaranteed roster slots are filled. The addition of Melo to the Nets would be another shot in the hearts of Knicks fans. Anthony spent seven years with the Knicks. Although the Nets were not a prominent threat when Melo was in the Garden, Brooklyn has now solidified themselves as New York's cross-town rival. Seeing the last superstar they've had become a Net could be a tough pill to swallow.
Also, the Knicks had an opportunity to sign Irving, Durant, and Anthony. In June, it was reported that the Knicks were considering bringing Melo on if they were able to secure two big-name free agents. Yet, New York reportedly didn't offer KD the max after his Achilles injury. which created a domino effect resulting in both Irving and Durant taking less than the max to play in Brooklyn.
