The Lakers brass intend to do everything within their power to lure LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony to Los Angeles this summer. Although Mitch Kupchak and company will go all-out in their pursuit of these superstars, Anthony might be the only one of the two that is a realistic option for the Lakers.
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On Thursday, the Lakers front office will meet with Anthony to give him their sales pitch. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Jeanie Buss will be apart of the meeting:
Wouldn't be surprised if there were others involved (i.e. Kobe) but Jeanie Buss, Jim Buss & Mitch Kupchak will lead Melo meeting, per source
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) July 1, 2014
As of right now, the chances of the Lakers landing Carmelo in free agency seems to be slim. Even though Anthony will come in for a meeting with Buss and company on Thursday, many believe the superstar will end up with the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, or back with the New York Knicks.
One thing the Lakers have going for them is the ability to sign Carmelo to a max contract. The Knicks can offer the most money at $129 million over five years, but the Lakers can offer $96 million over four years.
It remains to be seen if the allure of Los Angeles and the prospect of playing alongside his close friend Kobe Bryant will be enough to seal the deal. Bringing in Jeanie to help pitch Carmelo will most likely help the situation for Los Angeles, but it’ll still be a tough sell to land one of the biggest names available on the free agent market.
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Lakers Mitch Kupchak On Coach Search And Free Agency
