Getty Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony
LeBron James and his Klutch Agency no longer has interest in Carmelo Anthony joining the Los Angeles Lakers, according to a league source.
“LeBron’s camp no longer has interest in the Lakers signing Melo this season,” a league source told me via text message today.
News out of LA last week was that the Lakers and Anthony halted their talks.
Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski:
The Los Angeles Lakers and free agent Carmelo Anthony are pausing talks on a possible contract agreement unless the franchise makes a turn back toward pursuit of Western Conference playoffs contention, league sources told ESPN.
The Lakers had been leaning toward signing Anthony for the rest of the season — until losses in four of the past five games left the organization and Anthony’s camp wondering if it made sense to bring the veteran into an unsettled environment with suddenly so little chance of making the playoffs, league sources said.
Could that cause the Lakers to ramp up efforts to sign Zach Randolph?
“Hearing that Z-Bo to LA is the likely outcome,” a league source shared with me recently.
That falls in line with news out of Los Angeles two weeks ago that Randolph was seen working out in Los Angeles Lakers sweats in LA.
GettyZach Randolph
“I bumped into Zach Randolph at the gym in LA and he was in Lakers sweat suit,” an NFL’er told me via text message recently.
Randolph, 37, was part of the trade that shipped Harrison Barnes to the Sacramento Kings.
According to the New York Times’ Mark Stein, Randolph is expected to have a “sizable buyout market” once he’s free to sign with other teams at a more cost-effective deal, which he now is.Though Randolph is just one season removed from averaging 14.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 25.6 minutes per game, he seems unlikely to receive close to that level of playing time no matter where he might wind up.
The actual trade included Randolph and Justin Jackson to the Mavericks in exchange for Harrison Barnes.
Per CBS: The Mavericks most likely agreed to take Randolph back in the deal for salary-matching purposes, as Jackson, a 2017 first-round pick, looks to be the main target here.Randolph was bought out by the Mavericks shortly after the Barnes trade.After striking out on acquiring Anthony Davis at the NBA trade deadline, Randolph could be a viable option.In 17 seasons, Randolph has posted 6.6 points and 9.1 rebounds with five teams. Randolph has been out of the rotation all season in Sacramento, not even logging a single minute of run.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been deliberate in watching their cap space all season.
LA added savvy veterans like Tyson Chandler into the fold along with Michael Beasley and Rajon Rondo during the offseason. Beasley has since been traded, waived and signed with a team in China.
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