Bringing in Carmelo Anthony Seems Like a Mistake, So the Lakers Will Probably Do It
By Kyle Koster
Magic Johnson seems content to surround LeBron James with a volatile cast of characters either slightly past their prime or with somewhat checkered pasts as teammates. Rajon Rondo and Lance Stephenson come to mind. These are the veterans who will find their roles among a stable of fresh young talent with high ceilings.
It was only a matter of time until Carmelo Anthony, another big-name free agent, made his interest in joining the Los Angeles Lakers and accompanying three-ring circus public.
That time came Saturday.
Source close to Carmelo Anthony says the #Lakers are one of Melo’s preferred destinations, and that he's high on chance to finally play with #LeBron. Keep in mind too, that Carmelo owns a house in LA.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) July 7, 2018
The most refined NBA minds like Adrian Wojnarowski believe the Lakers may have some interest in the services of the 34-year-old jump shooter. The Miami Heat, Houston Rocketsand New York Knicks are also rumored to be open to the idea of bringing in Anthony, who had by the far the worst year of his career last season in Oklahoma City.
Carmelo posted career lows in points/game, assists/game, minutes/game, shooting percentage and free-throw percentage. He was part of a push-and-pull regarding crunch time shot selection and who should be shooting. One has to figure a similar situation could arise in L.A. should he land there.
He’d also likely have to come to the bench and be amenable to coming off the bench while carrying a big price tag. In short, there are definitely some flies in the ointment.
It’s no surprise that Anthony would want to play with James. If James wants to play with Anthony is a murkier question. To an outsider, assembling a band of the Basketball Expendables in an effort to challenge Golden State in the West seems fraught with peril, but, hey, what do I know?