In the Los Angeles Lakers’ attempt to re-build the team quickly, their sights have been set on unrestricted free agents Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James, and the team hopes to meet with both once free agency kicks off.
That may now be in question as ESPN’s Chris Broussard reports that the Lakers are not one of the teams Anthony will meet with on July 1:
Sources: Carmelo Anthony will visit Houston, Dallas and Chicago once teams are allowed to meet with free agents on July 1
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) June 25, 2014
This comes as a blow to the Lakers’ plans. They were hopeful to secure a meeting with Anthony in order to lure him to Los Angeles, but the team doesn’t have the roster to compete with some of the other teams vying for Anthony.
The Bulls and Rockets, in particular, each have two excellent players that they could pair with Anthony –making them immediate contenders for the NBA championship. The Mavericks also boast Dirk Nowitzki, and are close to adding a couple of familiar faces to Carmelo.
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It is believed that Anthony would consider the Lakers if they strengthened their roster, but with very few pieces to do so, it seems unlikely that the team would really appeal to Anthony by the time free agency starts.
The Knicks will continue to fight to keep Anthony, but with stiff competition coming from these other teams, the Lakers may have to go to Plan B this summer.
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