NBA Trade Rumours Round-up, January 19th: Carmelo to the Lakers, Dennis Smith Jr. trade and more

We have now passed the halfway point of the 2018/19 NBA season, and teams are starting to get a good idea about where they currently stand. Up until this point, both Conferences have remained competitive, with eleven teams in playoff contention in the Eastern Conference, whereas every team except the Phoenix Suns has a shot in the West.

The February trade deadline is also quickly approaching, as the NBA has made changes to the deadline so that it will now always occur 10 days before the All-Star game. This has been done so that players who get traded have time to settle into their new teams, and this year's trade window will close on February 7th.

So with the deadline just a month away, here are the biggest trade rumours you need to know for January 19th.

Carmelo Anthony could be set to join the Lakers

Carmelo Anthony has been away from the Houston Rockets for almost two months, although the former Knicks man could soon find himself with a new team. A report from The Athletic is claiming that interest in Anthony is ramping up, and the Lakers are among the interested teams:

The Lakers, who have a full roster and would have to waive someone to sign him if he was waived, continue to be tied to Anthony more than any other team. But according to a Lakers source, the fact that the roster is full is not a small obstacle. Not only is it unclear how they would clear the roster spot to add Anthony, or if there’s a possible trade to be made there with the Rockets, but a source close to James said Anthony’s conditioning and the overall state of his game are considered key factors here.

Anthony joined the Rockets last summer after parting ways with the OKC Thunder. In his 10 games with the team, the 34-year-old averaged 13.4 points and 5.4 rebounds.