Last season, the Lakers pieced together a group of recruiters that featured Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Mitch Kupchak, Mike D’Antoni, and Jim Buss to try to persuade Dwight Howard to stay in Los Angeles. We know how that worked out, with Dwight leaving the Lakers reeling, a departure they’re just now recovering from.
This time around, the Lakers remain confident in their group, which will feature the same group minus D’Antoni and Nash while substituting in Jeanie Buss, in their meeting planned with Carmelo Anthony on Thursday.
Wouldn't be surprised if there were others involved (i.e. Kobe) but Jeanie Buss, Jim Buss & Mitch Kupchak will lead Melo meeting, per source
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) July 1, 2014
Jeanie Buss chose to sit out the Dwight Howard pitch meeting last summer, so her involvement with Carmelo Anthony's is noteworthy
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) July 1, 2014
The inclusion of Jeanie Buss is interesting, if not just from a standpoint that she wasn’t involved with the Howard meeting, is a surprise. Always seen as the mother figure of the franchise, Jeanie could provide a unique approach to the pitch the Lakers will give Melo. She was not involved in the Howard meeting last year, but her impact likely would not have kept the big man in L.A. nonetheless.
A lot of the Lakers plans this summer hinge on the decisions of Anthony and to a lesser extent, LeBron James, making this upcoming meeting all the more important. Whether the Lakers pitch centers around the possibility of bringing in James and Melo together or offering him the keys to the franchise when Bryant leaves, the ramifications of the meeting remain large.
Let us know down below: if you had to form a team to convince Carmelo to come to LA, who would you pick? Kobe? Magic? Mitch? Kareem? Shaq? Jeanie?