3 former Lakers the team should now pursue in free agency

2. Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony is still an elite scoring option off of a team’s bench if the roster around him can help cover defensively. Building an old roster that struggled to defend or shoot consistently was never a winning recipe for the Lakers, however, Anthony deserves a lot of credit for what he brought to the Lakers last season. He was one of the few bright spots in what was in retrospect an off-season of missing from the front office.

Bringing back Anthony to give the forward another run at a title would be a great move for the Lakers. The team could use his veteran presence and scoring ability. The real question here is will Anthony be willing to return after a messy 2021 season?

Anthony averaged 13.3-points and continued to shoot the ball efficiently in limited opportunities. If Anthony is willing to continue playing and wants to return to the Lakers there should be no hesitation in bringing the veteran back. As long as the Lakers build a strong defensive roster around Anthony the team will be able to cover for his shortcomings defensively.

Anthony shot %37 from the outside an impressive number when you consider how often he was the only true threat from behind the arc on the floor. Anthony back in a Lakers uniform makes sense for both sides and should happen if the veteran returns for another season.