Is it time for Carmelo Anthony to retire from the NBA?

At this point in his career where the offers are slim and the roles even less so, it may be time for Carmelo Anthony to say goodbye to the NBA.

The NBA hasn’t seen Carmelo Anthony step foot on the court since Nov. 8. That’s nearly three months, and yet most of that time has been filled with silence from the general public, indifferent on his whereabouts excluding the occasional ponder.

Melo was recently traded to the Chicago Bulls in what was essentially a useless deal, the most we’ve heard about him since his most recent outing. His time with the Houston Rockets was over and the Bulls have no interest in giving him minutes. You would think a future Hall-of-Famer would garner more attention on the trading block, but this is what Anthony’s career has come to.

Chicago will likely waive him before the deadline, and with that, the chatter has risen once again as to where Melo may end up. The answer to that question is anyone’s guess, and his potential role within any team is an even bigger mystery.

It’s been a little crazy to see the demise of Carmelo Anthony. At a point in his career, he was one of the most feared scorers in the game, with a deadly offensive arsenal that could net him 20 points with minimal effort.

Now, the isolation-heavy mid-range based style of play that made Melo a 10-time All-Star is extinct, replaced by 3-pointers and layups, ball movement and penetration. How much he has been willing to adapt is up for debate, but it’s clear this new era just isn’t for him.

This is where determining his next chapter gets difficult. Nobody is doubting Carmelo’s abilities with a ball in his hands, but his skill-set is one teams are actively seeking to avoid, not give 20-plus minutes to.

Do you want your favorite team playing this guy 15 minutes a night at most? Even if the answer is yes, is that something you think Anthony would wholeheartedly accept? This is a guy who’s always fancied himself an elite player. Unlike his buddy Dwyane Wade, Carmelo’s never seemed to fully invest in a diminished role, a big reason he’s at this crossroads in his career.

The retirement of a pro athlete is something no Average Joe can ever comprehend. Most of their lives until that point have been dedicated to the sport they loved as a child, with a majority of their adulthood spent as a professional.

For NBA players, millions of dollars in the bank account and endless amounts of free time is nice, but nothing will ever compare to the rush of competing in an NBA game. That’s a spoken sentiment among retirees. It’s why some decide to come out of retirement. Hell, it’s why Ice Cube’s Big 3 league has become so successful. So while it’s easy to suggest Carmelo should simply hang it up, there’s a clear reason he hasn’t done so just yet.

Like all players, elite or not, Anthony wants to go out on his own terms. Unfortunately, there may not be a team willing to give it to him. Does that mean he should call it quits? We can’t answer that for him. It’s one he’ll have to decide, probably a lot sooner and under different circumstances than he would’ve liked.