NBA Trade Rumors: Will Carmelo Anthony link-up with his good friend LeBron James in LA next season?
Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James's friendship goes back to their high-school days. Even though their paths diverged after the NBA draft back in 2003, their bond has only grown stronger. As the two superstars edge closer towards the end of their careers, some fans are disappointed that they never got to witness LeBron and Melo together on the same team. But according to some NBA trade rumors, there is a chance the two can end up playing together for the LA Lakers next season.
NBA Trade Rumors: Joining LA Lakers might be Carmelo Anthony's last chance to win a championship
Even though Carmelo Anthony has had an incredible career so far, he never got close to winning an NBA championship. As LeBron James is on the pursuit of his 4th NBA title, Melo's chances of getting a ring grow slimmer by the day.
After a disastrous season with the Houston Rockets in 2018, Carmelo was delighted to get a chance to play again with the Portland Trail Blazers. But LeBron James and the crew ended Melo's title dreams this year as the LA Lakers crushed Portland in 5 games during the 2019-20 NBA playoffs.
Even though Carmelo seems happy to be a part of the Trail Blazers, he is already 36 and has only a few years left in his career. Being in a conference that is stacked with super-teams, Portland's chances of getting out of the west are slim. Having signed just a one year deal with Portland, Anthony will be a free-agent next season, and joining LeBron James and the LA Lakers certainly helps him towards his title-aspirations.
LeBron James and the Lakers can use Melo's offensive talents
There's no denying that Carmelo Anthony is way past his prime. He averaged just over 15 points this season as compared to his career average of 23.6. But this might just be what LA Lakers are looking for as they are currently struggling to find reliable shooters to help King James and Anthony Davis.
Despite being the No.1 seed in the west, the LA Lakers need a 3rd offensive option outside of their dynamic duo. Kyle Kuzma, Danny Green, and KCP have all been underwhelming so far and Carmelo Anthony might just be the piece that the lakers are missing. The former New-York Knicks' superstar shot an impressive 38.5% from 3 pointers this season and still has a couple of good years left in him.
All in all, despite this still being a rumor, this move makes a lot of sense for both Carmelo Anthony and the LA Lakers. The fans might after all get to see the two banana-boat buddies together before they retire.
Also read: LeBron James NBA Finals appearances - Ranked