Melo laments Dudley controversy: 'He wasn't keeping a roster spot from me'
After finding a home with the Portland Trail Blazers, veteran forward Carmelo Anthony took some time to reflect on his offseason of uncertainty - particularly the narrative that he was more deserving of an NBA roster spot than current Los Angeles Lakers forward Jared Dudley.
"Me and Jared Dudley had some issues in the past, man, but I started feeling bad for him a little bit," Anthony told Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes. "I mean, not feeling bad, but it's just like, 'Leave that man alone.' It's not his fault. Teams that wanted him, they wanted a specific role, and that's why they picked him up. I had to tell some guys to lay off.
"He wasn't keeping a roster spot from me. That wasn't the case. The (treatment) he received wasn't right."
One of the chief instigators in the unexpected debate pitting the 10-time All-Star against a career role player was former NBAer Royce White. White opined that Dudley receiving a contract from the Lakers was proof the league was blackballing Anthony.
"How is [LeBron] letting his banana boat buddy wait out there in the wings? And they go sign Jared Dudley and not Carmelo."
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) August 20, 2019
–Royce White on why he thinks Melo is being blackballed. (via Fanatics View/YouTube) pic.twitter.com/rjq5WQ2XdV
"Yeah, (Dudley) didn't deserve that," Anthony told Haynes. "We were in different situations. You can't blame him for what I went through."
Dudley has played sparingly off the Lakers' bench this season, averaging just 1.3 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in about seven minutes per appearance. With talents like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kyle Kuzma, and Danny Green eating up minutes at the forward positions, Los Angeles hasn't needed to rely heavily on the 34-year-old journeyman. In any case, the Lakers are 7-2 in games in which Dudley's seen playing time.
Anthony, meanwhile, has averaged 14 points, 5.5 rebounds, and two assists in 26.5 minutes per game in two outings since joining Portland. The Trail Blazers, already reeling when they signed the future Hall of Famer, are winless since he entered the lineup. Portland hasn't missed the playoffs since 2013, but with the team now sitting 5-11, the Trail Blazers are increasingly at risk of seeing their postseason streak snapped.