Getty Images Houston Rockets forward Carmelo Anthony
The link which has pointed Carmelo Anthony to the Los Angeles Lakers began even before the veteran forward was waived. It even started prior to the trade which sent him from the Houston Rockets to the Chicago Bulls. While Anthony played just 10 games with the Rockets this season, it was made immediately known that the two sides likely weren’t a fit.
In turn, Houston opted to sit Anthony and didn’t even keep him around the team in the process. Eventually, he was traded to the Bulls just ahead of the NBA trade deadline, Chicago waived the former All-Star. The path was wide open for Anthony to sign with the Lakers, but he still hasn’t to this point and the big question is what’s holding up a potential deal.
It seems the decision to hold off on signing Anthony may have something to do with the other players on the open market as well as the team’s current focus. As ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported, the Lakers have a “preference” to sign someone who’s played recently, which does not describe Carmelo’s situation.
As seen above, this goes along with the interest Magic Johnson and company reported have in Markieff Morris, who was waived by the New Orleans Pelicans after being acquired in a trade. So, now it comes down to figuring out what’s next for the Lakers, Anthony and Morris, because the situations may all be connected.
Lakers’ Interest in Carmelo Anthony & Markieff Morris
While the Lakers do have at least some level of interest in Anthony, their attention seems to have shifted to Morris. Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports first reported the news, but the team has some major competition for the former Washington Wizards forward.
Free-agent forward Markieff Morris has been cleared to play after recovering from a neck injury and has garnered interest from the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors, his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, told Yahoo Sports.
For the most part, Lakers fans seem to be on board with the push for Morris as well. Lakers Nation posted a poll asking which player the fanbase would prefer to see signed, and of the 20,400-plus votes, Morris took the cake.
If the Lakers decide between Markieff Morris and Carmelo Anthony, who should they sign?
One big topic of discussion could be Anthony’s close relationship with Lakers star LeBron James. There’s an obvious reason to believe the future Hall-of-Famer would love his friend to join him in Los Angeles and potentially provide a scoring punch off the bench.
The big issue with that comes down to the fact that Morris is simply a better player right now and one who can help the Lakers win. That’ll likely weigh heavily in the front office and much more than James’ relationship with Anthony. Time will tell, but for now, it looks like the team could spend the NBA All-Star break sorting through their options.
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Lakers Rumors: Carmelo Anthony Not L.A.’s Preferred Choice?