During the 2018-19 NBA season, Carmelo Anthony was heavily linked to the Los Angeles Lakers when he and the Houston Rockets parted ways after just 10 games.
When the Lakers traded Ivica Zubac and Michael Beasley to the Los Angeles Clippers for Mike Muscala, it created a roster spot for them to finally sign the 35-year-old.
However, the Anthony signing ultimately did not happen as the Lakers found themselves out of playoff contention.
With free agency fast approaching, rival executives reportedly believe the Lakers are Anthony’s ‘most likely destination,’ according to Ian Begley of SportsNet New York:
Let’s get this out of the way at the top: things can always change, but most executives monitoring Anthony’s free agency see the Lakers as the most likely destination for the 10-time All Star.
In addition to the Lakers, Anthony would have interest in signing with the New York Knicks, according to Begley:
Again, that may be irrelevant because of the Lakers’ interest. But Anthony would have interest in signing with the Knicks and finishing his career in New York, despite how his Knicks tenure ended. It’s worth noting that Anthony handled the spotlight of New York incredibly well during the team’s success and failures while he was here. Given that, he’d be a strong mentor for younger Knicks like Barrett, Knox, Robinson and Trier, who are learning to navigate the attention that comes with playing in New York.
Regardless if the Lakers sign a third All-Star player or numerous role players, they will still need to fill out the roster for the 2019-20 season. As a result, Anthony will likely be an option for the veteran’s minimum now.
Although Anthony is one of the greatest scorers of all time, there are questions about how he views himself at this stage of his career. During the 10 games with the Rockets, his reduced role and minutes eventually led to his release.
After surrounding LeBron James with ‘tough-minded’ role players in Year 1, it will be interesting to see what general manager Rob Pelinka does with James and Anthony Davis.