After years of being linked together, the Los Angeles Lakers finally got Carmelo Anthony to don the Purple and Gold.
Anthony signed a one-year deal with the Lakers and finally got a chance to play alongside one of his best friends in LeBron James. Entering Year 19, Anthony was willing to come off the bench and he did well in his limited role as a floor spacer and end-of-clock scorer. However, the year did not go the way Anthony and the Lakers envisioned as they somehow missed the playoffs.
The disappointing ending is surely going to prompt widespread changes across the organization, which will inevitably include the roster. With Los Angeles limited on resources to sign free agents, Anthony would be a logical re-signing for them and it appears they would be the frontrunners for his services according to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com:
“There is a comfort level with living in L.A. and playing there,” one NBA source said. “The starting point on him coming back and not retiring is signing on with the Lakers and hoping that they fix the roster and the coaching situation. But it’s wide-open.”
Anthony could slide to the other locker room at Crypto.com Arena and suit up with former Thunder teammate and friend Paul George with the Clippers, especially if he thinks that team is championship-ready. But the prevailing thought is that if Anthony is in Los Angeles, it will be with the purple-and-gold.
While Anthony is far past his prime and just a role player at this point in his career, he has shown he can be useful in certain stretches. As a spot-up shooter, Anthony can provide a team like the Lakers room to operate in the half-court, a requisite for a team built around Anthony Davis and James.
Retirement seems a little far-fetched for Anthony, who was pleased with his individual season, but he also acknowledged that his playing future is unknown. However, hopefully it ends up with him back with the Lakers for one more run at a title.
Carmelo Anthony says Lakers didn’t get job done
When the front office assembled so many experienced players, the goal was always an NBA championship. The Lakers came into the 2021-22 season as a supposed contender, but it became evident early that they were nowhere near the caliber of team most thought they would be. Reflecting back on the year, Anthony was blunt in his assessment when he said they just did not get the job done.
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