Carmelo Anthony joined the NBA in 2003-04 and was instantly one of the hottest names in the game, coming in second for Rookie of the Year and immediately becoming the most important player for the Denver Nuggets.
After a few years, Anthony hadn’t slowed down, and a great number of teams daydreamed about how well they’d do with him in their rotation.
Apparently, Anthony was given a chance to join LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and others with the Miami Heat, but he didn’t want to be the team’s fourth option.
“Imagine me at 23 years old, 24 years old, being the fourth option on the team when I’m leading my team every single year. Like, I’m finding my way in this league. And you want me to leave that and go be a fourth option? I don’t know how mentally I was going to do that. So I was like, ‘Hell, no. I can’t be that fourth,’” Anthony said.
Carmelo revealed that he had the opportunity to team up with LeBron, D-Wade, and Bosh but didn’t want to be the fourth option
“Imagine me at 23 years old, 24 years old, being the fourth option on the team when I’m leading my team every single year. Like, I’m finding my way in… pic.twitter.com/CvnZVp0zDb
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 4, 2025
It’s understandable that Anthony would feel a lot of hesitation about joining the Heat at that time.
He was his team’s unquestionable leader and had already earned multiple All-Star honors.
He was open to the idea of leaving the Nuggets because he wanted more for himself, but he wasn’t willing to accept a lesser role.
But there was just no way he’d be the Heat’s first option when playing alongside James, Wade, Bosh, and others.
The Heat were already the most dominant team in the league, and adding Anthony would have made them even more of a powerhouse.
Miami’s front office would have had to spend a lot to get Anthony, but he likely would have been worth every single penny.
Instead, Anthony rejected that deal and eventually moved to the New York Knicks instead.
That was a smart move for him because he was that team’s top option and became a Knicks legend.
Heat fans will always wonder what could have been with Anthony in the lineup, but they did just fine without him.
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