New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony will be a free agent at seasons end and could find himself playing elsewhere next season. Anthony is in the last year of his contract and the talks of him leaving New York seemingly grows by the day.
At 9-21, Anthony looks frustrated with his situation in the Big Apple, but where he could play next is starting to materialize. According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, there’s a short list of teams he’d consider, including the Los Angeles Lakers:
That is why New York, Los Angeles, where he has a home, and even Chicago are on his short list, according to a source. The source said the Clippers — with buddy Chris Paul — are more attractive than the Lakers, though the purple-and-gold have cap space and the Clips don’t.
In order for Anthony to be a Clipper, he’d have to be signed and traded for a piece like Blake Griffin, which isn’t something Clipper management seems keen on doing. With the Bulls, Luol Deng is a free agent at seasons end and Anthony would slot into his small forward position for the foreseeable future.
However, the Lakers have long been talked about as an ideal destination due to his good relationship with guard Kobe Bryant, cap space, but head coach Mike D’Antoni might be the problem:
The Lakers also have coach Mike D’Antoni, for now. It’s hard to imagine Anthony wanting to play for him again, not after the battle they went through in New York. Of course, there is no guarantee D’Antoni will be around.
There have also been reports that the Lakers won’t offer a max contract to the 29-year-old forward, but that can all change over the summer. While many believe Anthony will remain with the orange and blue, the rumors of him leaving and to where are sure to increase heading into free agency.
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Los Angeles Lakers 2013 Highlights
