Topic: With the Lakers having only a slim chance of getting Carmelo Anthony via free agency, we wonder if the team should go after Chris Bosh as a Plan B.
Context: This year’s free agency class is shaping up to be a very loaded one. The cream of the crop is Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James, both of whom the Lakers plan to recruit. But James is almost definitely staying in Miami, and Anthony will also be courted by the likes of the Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets — teams that are much further along than the Lakers.
As such, the Lakers’ chances of landing one of these prizes is slim to none. And if they are unable to get one, what do they do then? One of the biggest names available could be Chris Bosh.
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Bosh is likely to opt-out of his contract, making him an unrestricted free agent. While he could remain in Miami, there have been rumors of the Heat trying to re-tool the roster by bringing in Carmelo Anthony and possibly trading for another big-time player.
With James being the best player and Wade having been in Miami his whole career, Bosh would seem to be the odd man out if one of the three doesn’t return. The Lakers could use some players up front and Bosh is a relatively similar player to Pau Gasol.
Bosh has been a third-wheel since being in Miami, but showed what he was capable of as a first option in Toronto. There is no denying his talent, even if he has played on one of the most hated teams in the history of the NBA.
Verdict: We went to Twitter and asked our loyal followers if the Lakers are unable to get Carmelo Anthony, would you want them to go after Chris Bosh? And how much would you pay him? These are some of the responses:
@TheeCoreyH @LakersNation a bag of chips for the soft 3pt shooting big man. pau is stronger and better and muchhhhh cheaper.
— Rany Mishal (@RanyTreeMan) June 29, 2014
@TheeCoreyH @LakersNation All depends on the $$
— Moishe (@MogardeMoishe) June 29, 2014
@TheeCoreyH @LakersNation no way. We need a legit point guard and reports say he wants 15 million per
— Greg (@Calkidd32Greg) June 29, 2014
@TheeCoreyH @LakersNation yeah have kobe get on him, bet he will shape his game up then
— mR.g00DM♦️N (@Cgood710) June 29, 2014
@TheeCoreyH @LakersNation absolutely not. Not a dime
— JAMS (@JamesLouisClark) June 29, 2014
@TheeCoreyH @LakersNation About $12.
— CoolwhipSpecial (@CoolwhipSpecial) June 29, 2014
I probably didn’t do a good enough job of showing this through the tweets, but the fans are vehemently against Chris Bosh joining the team, using a bunch of language that I can’t repeat on this post to make that point known. The question I have is: Why?
Why do fans hate Chris Bosh so much? Is it because he plays for the Heat? Is it his yelling and celebrations? Is it the hundreds of memes?
At the end of the day, Bosh is an All-Star talent who would fit the Lakers roster in my opinion. He put up nearly the same numbers last year as a third option, as Gasol did as a first option.
When he was in Toronto, Bosh averaged 20 points and nearly 10 rebounds in seven seasons. That’s the Bosh we’re more likely to see in LA, especially with no LeBron and Wade to take away most of the touches.
His game also fits well with Julius Randle as he can operate from the elbow and vice versa. I would prefer the Lakers go after other players, but Bosh is an excellent consolation prize if the team strikes out on their main targets.
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