The clock is ticking for the Los Angeles Lakes to use the roster spot they created when they traded Ivica Zubac and Michael Beasley to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Mike Muscala before the February NBA trade deadline. Days before the March 1 playoff-eligibility waiver deadline, rumors and speculations are circulating that LeBron James’ camp has been making an endorsement to the Lakers regarding the player who should fill their 15th roster spot.
According to Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson of Heavy , LeBron James’ camp is trying to convince the Lakers to sign 10-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony.
“LeBron’s camp is insisting on the front office signing Melo,” a league source with knowledge of the Lakers told Robinson via text message this afternoon. “But the team wants to go in a different direction.”
Since he was officially removed from the Houston Rockets’ rotation, Carmelo Anthony has been frequently linked to the Purple and Gold. LeBron James has said on numerous occasions that he would love to have Anthony on his team. During those times, James said that he will just let Lakers President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson and General Manager Rob Pelinka decide whether they want to sign Anthony or not.
However, as the March 1 playoff-eligibility waiver deadline draws near, it seems like LeBron James has changed his tune and is now trying to influence how the Lakers plan to use their open roster spot. Unfortunately, as “Scoop B” noted, it is less likely for the Lakers to grant James’ request. Carmelo Anthony will undeniably give the Lakers a reliable scoring option in their second unit, but his performance on the defensive end of the floor proved to be a major issue.
Lakers News: Carmelo Anthony Joining LA Not A Priority – https://t.co/tWcp3iLJ5b pic.twitter.com/02epakC0K1
— ? Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) February 24, 2019
As of now, the Lakers are keeping an eye on other players who, they believe, could boost their chance of ending their playoff drought in the 2018-19 NBA season. According to a previous Inquisitr report, the Lakers “wouldn’t mind” using their open roster spot to sign another big man with New York Knicks center DeAndre Jordan as their top target. However, the Knicks aren’t expected to buy out Jordan’s contract before the March 1 playoff-eligibility waiver deadline as they reportedly intend to keep for the remainder of the 2018-19 NBA season.
The Knicks believe that the presence of DeAndre Jordan in New York could help them recruit big names in the 2019 NBA free agency, specifically Golden State Warriors small forward Kevin Durant. Other potential targets for the Lakers on the buyout market include Zach Randolph, Marcin Gortat, and Greg Monroe.
