Over the past few weeks, the rumors have been running rampant about the Los Angeles Lakers and the master plan to land both Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James in NBA free agency. Although a stretch to say the least, GM Mitch Kupchak and company will try to make an impression on Anthony this Thursday, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne:
The Lakers registered interest in Carmelo Anthony tonight and will be meeting with him on Thursday, source tells ESPN
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 1, 2014
The Lakers will have a considerable amount of cap space at their disposal this summer and intend to use it if they can lure in the big-name players. Anthony might be the most realistic of the two biggest names on the free agent market for many different reasons.
Not only does Anthony have a home in Los Angeles already, but the superstar is as close to Kobe Bryant as any other player in the league. Anthony and the five-time NBA champion have been close for quite some time and that will almost certainly factor into the decision by the free agent forward.
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If the Lakers are able to bring in Anthony, there’s a good chance Pau Gasol will follow. The three stars along with rookie Julius Randle could prove to be a force to be reckoned with if the team is able to surround them with the right role players next season.
So even though it may be a long shot for the Lakers to sign Anthony, anything is possible with a sit down scheduled with one of the best in the business. Kupchak has pulled off miracles in the past and might have another if able to convince Anthony to help right the ship in Los Angeles alongside Kobe.
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