L.A. Lakers Rumors: Is Carmelo Anthony A Bad Fit For Lakers? Latest Trade & Draft Pick Rumors


Some of the latest Los Angeles Lakers rumors and news includes a former NBA star saying Carmelo Anthony wouldn’t help the team much as well as speculation over their No. 2 pick and trades. The Lakers franchise is one that’s been under a microscope lately, due to the success this team has shown over the years in the league. With former Lakers great Magic Johnson now looking to turn things around after Kobe Bryant’s departure, there have been rumors of the team making a trade for a star like Paul George or Jimmy Butler. One star they may want to avoid is Carmelo Anthony, according to a former New York Knicks player.

In a report earlier from TMZ, former New York Knicks player Charles Oakley weighed in on the Carmelo Anthony saga. When TMZ caught up with Oakley, they asked him about the possibility of the current Knicks star joining the Lakers and whether or not it would be a good fit. Oakley went on record as saying he thinks Carmelo needs to play for a title contender and as of right now, L.A. wouldn’t have enough pieces to contend, even if Anthony was a member of the roster.

That’s probably true, as this Los Angeles squad is still young and gaining experience, while Melo would need some established stars with him. There have been previous rumors of Anthony joining the other Los Angeles squad, the Clippers, and possibly teaming up with Chris Paul there. However, ‘Melo still needs to waive a “no-trade clause” in his contract before he and the Knicks can part ways.

Lakers fans probably shouldn’t expect to see Carmelo as the replacement for the retired Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles. [Image by Jeff Gross/Getty Images]

While the Lakers acquiring Carmelo seems out of the picture, the team will be making moves this summer. At the very least, they’ve got the No. 2 draft pick to bring in a new star to help right their ship. UCLA’s Lonzo Ball seems like the logical choice, although a Bleacher Report article indicated that Kentucky’s De’Aaron Fox is also being considered by the Lakers. That would be a major surprise, although Fox outplayed Ball when their two teams met in the NCAA Tournament. Ball is the taller of the two and probably the better playmaker. However, Fox is a speedy point guard with better scoring abilities and defense. It should be interesting to see which way the Lakers go.

There have also been some Lakers rumors regarding the possibility of trades. While it was reported months ago the team would not part ways with their talented young trio of D’Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, and Julius Randle, there’s now some rumors going around that they’re not safe.

On May 19th, NBA.com‘s Sam Smith mentioned the potential for the team to swing a trade for Paul George using two of their young players along with a veteran.

“The Lakers also would love to dump one of those big contracts that resulted in a management change. The talk among general managers is you can pretty easily get D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle. Then simple. You give the Pacers Luol Deng to match salary with George and then throw in two former lottery picks, one from the Big 10 and the other from nearby Kentucky, and the Pacers can sell that as a rebuild.”

The Lakers may be considering DeAaaron Fox vs. Lonzo Ball for their No. 2 NBA Draft pick this year. [Image by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images]

So if one had to speculate based on all of this buzz, so far it seems like Lonzo Ball is close to a lock for the No. 2 pick. If the Lakers ended up drafting the smaller De’Aaron Fox it would shock the basketball and sports world much like the NFL Draft’s No. 2 pick did when the Chicago Bears traded up to select North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky. In terms of a trade, one has to wonder if Magic is going to do his best to make a big move this early into his tenure as part of the management, or if he’d prefer to gamble on those younger stars who could carry this team into the future.

Lakers fans, if you were making the No. 2 draft pick for the team, which player would you draft? Also, which player would you try to acquire via trade for the Lakers: Jimmy Butler, Paul George, or Carmelo Anthony?

[Featured Image by Harry How/Getty Images]

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