Kendrick Perkins is certain there's still room for free agent wing Carmelo Anthony on an NBA team in 2019-20, but thinks the 10-time All-Star needs to change his mindset.
Perkins won an NBA title in 2008 as a member of the Celtics, achieving something that has eluded Anthony for 16 seasons. Perkins believes Anthony should take a back seat to younger players like Vince Carter did. Carter signed a one-year deal with the Hawks this offseason at age 42.
"Listen I agree Melo should be In league on somebody roster for d— show, but he needs to follow in Vince Carter footsteps, because when Vince knew he wasn’t that dude no more he embraced a lesser role with open arms and now he’s 42 years old and about to play his 22nd season!" Perkins wrote on Twitter.
Listen I agree Melo should be In league on somebody roster for damn show, but he needs to follow in Vince Carter footsteps, because when Vince knew he wasn’t that dude no more he embraced a lesser role with open arms and now he’s 42 years old and about to play his 22nd season!??♂️
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) August 22, 2019
"I think it comes a point in time in all of our careers where we have to say 'hey, you're not who you used to be as a basketball player," Perkins told 590 The Fan Thursday. "I'm not even in conversation with Carmelo, but when I was in Oklahoma City and Steven Adams came in I had to face reality. That hey, I'm not better than Steven Adams no more.
"Until you're able to embrace the role and be what that team wants you to be, it's gonna be hard. And I always tell guys 'it only takes one general manager to spread any type of bad information about you. And it's over."
Anthony signed with the Rockets for the league's veteran minimum ahead of 2018-19 but stepped away from the team after notching just 10 appearances. He didn't quite fit in Houston's system and was traded to the Bulls in January before being released the following month.
He averaged 13.4 points and 5.4 rebounds for the Rockets but has been a free agent since February.
"I don't know what the exact word is out there about Carmelo," Perkins said. "But obviously it's not a good thing because no team wants to touch him. And he should be playing. If Vince Carter is playing at the age of 42 and going on his 22nd year in the NBA, there's no reason Carmelo Anthony shouldn't be playing right now.
"But Vince Carter embraced the role that 'hey, I'm not Vince from back in the day and whatever a team needs me to do, I'm gonna do it.'"
Anthony is one of basketball's most decorated players ever, as he won a national championship in his freshman year at Syracuse and three Olympic gold medals with Team USA.
But the 35-year-old's days in the league might be over if he can't convince teams he's willing to be a role player.
