5. Brooklyn Nets
Carmelo Anthony once forced his way to the New York Knicks in order to play in New York City. At the time, Mikhail Prokhorov, owner of the then-New Jersey Nets, pushed hard for his team to acquire Anthony from the Nuggets. Once Anthony made it clear he only wanted to go to the Knicks and would not re-sign with New Jersey, they backed off and Anthony was soon traded to the Knicks.
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Seven years later, the Nets are now in New York City and Anthony is not. By all accounts, Anthony and his wife loved living in New York, and if the relationship between Anthony and the Knicks had not degraded so far, he would have been happy to stay in The Big Apple.
The Nets will not offer the most money, as they have tied most of their cap space up in accepting large deal from other teams in return for assets. But they can offer living in New York again, as well as a prominent featured role on their offense.
Throughout the Kenny Atkinson era in Brooklyn, the Nets have lacked a go-to scorer on the wing, and even at this point in his career Anthony can provide an upgrade. Anthony and Atkinson crossed paths in New York in 2011-12, when the relationship was still sound between Anthony and the Knicks. The Nets don’t need to commit for more than one season, but could also offer Anthony a place to have a role while he transitions into the twilight of his career.