Is Carmelo Anthony signing with Celtics a realistic possibility after Danilo Gallinari injury?

The Celtics bench will be shorthanded for at least the start of the regular season after Danilo Gallinari suffered a torn meniscus last weekend. With a few open roster spots still available ahead of training camp next month, Brad Stevens still has some options to add players to the roster if needed.

So direction could the Celtics go in on that front? A new report from Brandon Robinson of Bally Sports said Boston was considering Carmelo Anthony as a free agent signing on the heels of the Gallinari injury. Robinson also listed the Knicks as having an interest in the veteran forward as well.

Would Anthony make sense as a potential fit on Boston’s roster though? Let’s take a closer look at Anthony and whether these rumors add up when looking at Boston’s roster and big picture priorities.

Anthony’s pros and cons

The 37-year-old has transformed nicely into a role player from an offensive standpoint during his last few years in Portland and Los Angeles. His 3-point shooting (38 percent) has been consistent in those years and his shots per 36 minutes have decreased to 14, a far cry from his days in Denver and New York. He also shot a career-high 52 percent from 2-point range last year on just 4.7 attempts per game, a sign of better shot selection overall after feasting on midrange jumpers for years with mixed success.

While those skills would be useful to help fill in offensively for an injured Gallinari, Anthony’s defensive liabilities are more glaring than ever. He’s routinely targeted by opposing offenses and it’s no coincidence that during the last three seasons, his teams have finished 30th, 29th, and 21st in defensive rating. For a team that was built on the strength of its defense last year, Anthony would be a concern every time he stepped on the floor.

What about current Celtics alternatives?

Reserve power forward is actually one of the deeper spots on Boston’s roster, presuming Al Horford maintains his spot in the starting five this season at the 4. Grant Williams and Gallinari were expected to split time off the bench at power forward this season before Gallinari went down. However, the Celtics also locked up some younger depth in this area back in July when inking second-year forward Sam Hauser to a three-year contract.

League sources tell MassLive that the team is very high on the 24-year-old undrafted sharpshooter who knocked down 43 percent of his 3s during his rookie year in limited action. Bringing in a veteran like Anthony would eliminate the possibility that Hauser develops well in extended action presented by Gallinari’s injury. Anthony is obviously far more proven but Hauser’s numbers last year in Boston and the G-League show he’s a better 3-point shooter and it won’t be hard for him to defend better than Anthony either. Bringing in a veteran like Anthony who will be pushing to play is far from a no-brainer when it’s not clear he’s a better player than some youth on the roster.

Boston also has a number of other bigs that could also play some power forward (Noah Vonleh, Bruno Caboclo) in the mix for training camp spots. Other players that are experienced with Boston’s system (Brodric Thomas, Justin Jackson) could agree to deals with the Celtics as well. Those guys don’t necessarily have the offensive upside that Anthony does as a role player but could be better fitted to the team’s scheme.

Final thoughts

Anthony will find a landing spot next year somewhere after putting up solid numbers for the Lakers last year but there’s a reason he’s still available a few weeks before training camp. Assuming the Gallinari injury won’t sideline him for much longer than a couple of months, bringing in Anthony doesn’t make a lot of sense for Boston in a part of the roster with plenty of younger viable alternatives.

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