Due to his friendship with LeBron James, as well as the team’s recent tendency to sign proven, if often past-their-prime, veterans, there have been a lot of reports linking Carmelo Anthony to the Los Angeles Lakers. While these reports are largely conflicting, with some suggesting the Lakers are interested and others claiming they aren’t, James himself commented on the rumors after the team’s 130-117 loss to the Orlando Magic on Saturday, stressing that any decision to sign Anthony wouldn’t be up to him.
“I have no idea, to be honest,” James told reporters, as quoted by Silver Screen and Roll .
“That’s not a question to ask me. Right now we have 15 roster spots, right? We don’t even have a roster spot open right now. But that’s not a question for myself.”
As reported by USA Today’s Lonzo Wire earlier this week, Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated appeared on ESPN’s The Jump, where he said that Carmelo Anthony likely won’t be traded to, or signed by the Los Angeles Lakers, as the team appears to be “done” overhauling its lineup for the 2018-19 season. Earlier this month, the Lakers signed Tyson Chandler after buying out his contract from the Phoenix Suns, adding the 18th-year center to a roster that also includes offseason acquisitions Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee, Lance Stephenson, and Michael Beasley — all veteran players who were signed to provide experience to a mostly youthful team.
Meanwhile, the 34-year-old Anthony appears to be on his way out of the Houston Rockets, who recently agreed to “part ways” with the former All-Star forward after a 10-game stint that didn’t go as well as expected. While former NBA stars Richard Jefferson, Tracy McGrady, and Jalen Rose have all suggested that Anthony might want to consider retirement, one of his other contemporaries — Basketball Hall of Fame guard Allen Iverson — hinted at the opposite, stressing that his former teammate “should keep going,” according to a report from the Inquisitr .
Talking about the possibility of Carmelo Anthony becoming a Los Angeles Laker, Silver Screen and Roll pointed out the team could theoretically waive someone like third-string center Ivica Zubac, or any of his other teammates on “cheaper” contract, if they really want to sign the 16-year veteran. However, the publication stressed that signing Anthony would still be an “unlikely” scenario, as his lack of defensive skills and diminished scoring ability could make him a poor fit for head coach Luke Walton’s system.
