NBA Free Agency 2021: 3 Reasons why LA Lakers should pursue Carmelo Anthony in the offseason
For a third straight year, Carmelo Anthony will enter NBA free agency without clarity regarding his future, and the LA Lakers will again be a potential destination for him. Anthony has spent the last two seasons playing for the Portland Trail Blazers and performed decently as a role player off the bench.
At 37, stability might be one of the primary driving factors behind any decision that Carmelo Anthony makes. He's been adequately compensated during his career and has already achieved several All-NBA and All-Star selections. He was recently awarded the inaugural Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award too.
For the all-time great that he is, Carmelo Anthony still has a blip on his resume. He's never won an NBA Championship. The LA Lakers can offer him that opportunity. That and the California market make it a good deal for Melo.
Is Carmelo Anthony a good fit for the LA Lakers?
What's in it for the Purple and Gold, though? Is Carmelo a good fit for the 2020 champs? In a nutshell, yes. Let's look at three reasons why the LA Lakers should pursue Carmelo Anthony in NBA free agency this offseason.
#1 The LA Lakers need an impact scorer off the bench
As was evident during the 2021 NBA Playoffs, the LA Lakers need a reliable scorer off the bench to take some pressure off starters. Montrezl Harrell and Kyle Kuzma did a respectable job while playing that role during the regular season, but the duo fizzled out in the postseason.
That wasn't the case for Carmelo Anthony, who pretty much managed the same numbers throughout the 2020-21 campaign. Melo averaged 13.4 points per game during the regular season and 12.3 points per game during the playoffs. Kuzma and Harrell combined for 12.1 points in the postseason.
More importantly, both Kuzma and Harrell could be gone next season. Kuzma is expected to be traded while Harrell can either decline his player option or get moved after exercising it. In any case, Carmelo will be filling a need for the LA Lakers.
Even though his numbers have tumbled over the last five years, Carmelo Anthony remains a three-level scorer. He can create his own shots and get buckets from anywhere on the field. He can play in isolation and spot-up situations. The same cannot be said about any of the players on the LA Lakers' second unit right now.