The Trail Blazers have endured a handful of high-profile injuries to start the 2020-21 season. For that reason, Portland has relied lower-paid players to step in and fill the gaps. As HoopsHype’s Frank Urbina notes in his article on the NBA’s best offseason bargains, Carmelo Anthony has covered that role seamlessly.
Despite ranking tenth on the Blazers in salary, Anthony has provided a steadying force, keeping the Blazers afloat in the Western Conference gauntlet. He returned to the team on a $2.6 million, veteran-minimum deal. Even so, Melo is fourth on the team in scoring (14.