At first it was just barbershop talk. Then it slowly crept into the mouths of the media. Now there are reports of the Lakers entering talks with the Nuggets to acquire Carmelo Anthony.
Can it be true? Is it possible GM Mitch would drop a nuclear bomb in the middle of the season bigger than the Pau Gasol explosion a few years back?
Only time will tell. We all know how these Melo trade talks have gone so it’s best to take any of the rumors with a grain of salt.
About a month ago it seemed like Carmelo was going to Jersey. That never came to be as the Nets and their Russian oil money walked away. Most recently it seemed as if the Knicks were gaining ground in the Melo sweepstakes. Now the Lakers have silently emerged as a contender.
A couple of thoughts on this whole fiasco. For one, the Lakers would have to part ways with Andrew Bynum. I’m not exactly sure that is the best move to make as it would leave Gasol alone in the middle. Not the kind of move that gives the Lake Show much of a chance against the more physical Celtics or Spurs. Second, it remains to be seen how Kobe Bryant could cohabitate with another perimeter scorer like Anthony. We know how well it went with Shaq and he played with his back to the hoop.
Finally, why would Denver give their rivals a leg up? This seems like a bad move all the way around. Denver goes into rebuilding mode while helping a Western Conference foe become even stronger. As for the Lakers, they’d be moving their most valuable asset going forward. Sure, Drew is injury prone but in a league with fewer and fewer true centers Bynum is a commodity.
For now, this is just rumor so we’ll wait and see. My gut reaction is that this would be a knee jerk reaction that looks good on paper but doesn’t inherently help to improve the odds of winning a title.