NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Carmelo Anthony, Jeremy Lin and More

The 2019 offseason proved a transformative one for the NBA, as superstars changed locales and permanently altered the championship chase.

The landscape-shifting portion of the summer is probably behind us, unless perhaps Bradley Beal, Chris Paul, Kevin Love or someone unexpected gets traded elsewhere.

But the activity hasn't come to a stop. In fact, a couple of household names and a former top-10 pick are all part of the latest buzz, which we will break down below.

Carmelo Anthony Running Out of Possible Landing Spots

Rare is the NBA career that gift-wraps itself a storybook ending. Carmelo Anthony could be the latest to learn that.

The 35-year-old made just 10 appearances this past season for the Houston Rockets, who later opted for a separation and traded him to the Chicago Bulls, who waived him shortly thereafter. It's possible that could be the end of his NBA story.

"Can he still play? That's what teams want to know," an NBA coach told The Athletic's Frank Isola. "It can't be about a farewell tour."

The problem is that Anthony might not even have the opportunity to answer that question. Most roster spots are already filled, and some of his likeliest suitors could be out of the running.

The Los Angeles Lakers discussed him last season but "appear to be an unlikely option," Shams Charania wrote for The Athletic. The New York Knicks considered Anthony this summer but only if they landed two superstar free agents first. Teams are reportedly uncertain about finding a mutually beneficial role with Anthony, a former scoring champ whose contributions have dwindled to volume buckets in recent years.

A team from the Chinese Basketball Association prepared a near $1 million offer for him last season, but "it never gained traction," per Charania. Multiple agents who broker deals there feel it's "very unlikely" he would play there. The BIG3 "would express interest" in Anthony, Charania added, but "there doesn't yet appear to be any dialogue between the two sides."

The potential end to Anthony's decorated career is close enough executives believe he could ink a one-day deal to retire with the Knicks if nothing else materializes.

Anthony is a 10-time All-Star who has scored the 19th-most points in NBA history. He has a 98.18 percent chance of making the Hall of Fame, according to Basketball Reference's probability model.

Jeremy Lin Not Thinking Overseas Yet

Once a worldwide phenomenon, Jeremy Lin has mostly served in NBA reserve duties since his incredible Linsanity run captivated the globe in 2012.

At this point in free agency, it's unclear whether even those opportunities are still available to him.

"Free agency has been tough because I feel like the NBA has kind of given up on me," Lin said during a speech in Taiwan for GOOD TV (via Brian Lewis of the New York Post).

If Lin's NBA time is up⁠—⁠he ranked 448th in ESPN.com's real plus-minus last season—he has both the name recognition and the talent to score a substantial deal overseas. But he reportedly turned down an offer from CSKA Moscow and "is not interested, at least for now, to sign in Europe," per Sportando's Emiliano Carchia.

Lin, who just won a championship with the Toronto Raptors, played some productive minutes for the Atlanta Hawks before heading north of the border in February. Prior to being waived in mid-February, his per-36-minutes averages included 19.6 points on 46.6 percent shooting, 6.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds.

He has enough left in the tank to potentially attract an NBA suitor, although he might need an injury to create an opening first.

Nik Stauskas Could Cross the Atlantic

The eighth overall pick in 2014, Nik Stauskas has yet to live up to his lofty NBA draft status.

He might be ready to abandon those plans entirely—or at least put them on hold.

Lithuanian journalist Donatas Urbonas reported Spain's Baskonia is a "very likely destination" for Stauskas.

The 6'6" shooting guard has played for five teams in his five NBA seasons, most recently splitting the 2018-19 campaign between the Portland Trail Blazers and Cleveland Cavaliers. Shooting is supposed to be his calling card, but his career 38.9/35.3/81.4 slash line leaves much to be desired.

Considering he's only 25, though, perhaps a productive run overseas could regenerate his NBA interest and help him return to the Association sooner rather than later.