As soon as they can sort out Kobe Bryant's contract, and get him to agree to take less money to help lure free agents over to make a couple more championship runs, the Lakers will be the most desirable destination for big name free agents. Carmelo Anthony has been the name most linked with the team, and there has even been some semi-preposterous dreaming about teaming up Melo with LeBron James in Laker Land. Now a source reveals that Kobe would be the key to Anthony joining the Lakers next year - should he opt out. The Knicks have between now and July 1 to prove to Anthony that they are building something resembling a contending team. A person familiar with Anthony’s thinking says that Kobe Bryant could be the X-factor in the Knicks’ negotiations with Carmelo. The Lakers will have cap space next summer and if Bryant promises Anthony that together they can make a run at a championship in Los Angeles, Dolan may be doomed. Anthony owns a home in Southern California and his wife, La La, has spent a lot of time in Hollywood the last two years making movies. The main factors here are: will Carmelo leave money to chase titles, will the Lakers look like a championship team if he joins them. You could make the argument that Anthony will leave the Knicks if they don't look like they are becoming contenders (and with the injuries to Stoudemire, and their bloated salary cap, they likely will not), but would he bolt to L.A. to join a severely aged Kobe Bryant and cap space? Don't expect this storyline to go away anytime before July 1, 2014, when Melo can sign a contract extension or pursue free agency.
1. Melo is a horrible overrated player; great scorer no doubt, but black hole on ball-movement and assists. His high usage with incredibly low assist per usage ranks among the "black-hole" players of other eras 2. Kobe + Melo will not work lol. Granted, Kobe is better than Melo when it comes to passing / defense but they are both high-usage scorer-mentality players 3. The Knicks gave up an arm and leg to acquire him; Melo failed to prove up to his name all these years with the Knicks, and now he's just going to abandon them after they made him the King of NY. Kinda messed up imo.
If there is a God...he will let Kobe and Carmelo join the same team. The lulz due to no chemistry and jacking shots would be endless.
Carmelo has recently stated that he has no interest in leaving New York: "I'm not going nowhere," Anthony said during an interview Tuesday with Bloomberg Television's "Market Makers." I don't know, though. That double negative leaves me wondering.
So this is what Laker fans are fantasizing about? Kobe, Marshmallow, and LeDiva have all averaged over 20 (maybe higher) shots a game their entire career, yet you think they can share the ball, especially when Kobe is chasing Kareem's record?
All the players Lakers fans wanted either got max contracts from there team or doesn't want to play there
Even though I don't believe Melo will leave NY, i'll play devil's advocate. Most recently, it was LeBron leaving his hometown Cavs that could be compared to Melo leaving his hometown Knicks. So, for something like that to happen again: 1. The Knicks have to continue on their treadmill of mediocrity with no end in sight due to cap killing contracts. (Very likely) 2. The Lakers have to attract a third star, to pair next to Melo and Kobe, to play the Chris Bosh role. (Likely) This could very well be Bosh... (Very unlikely) 3. The absolute most important component: Kobe has to take a back seat and embrace the DWade role. (Ridiculously unlikely) Of course, this is all contingent upon Kobe taking a huge salary cut, a strong and stabilizing presence in the Lakers FO (i.e. Pat Riley) and no other attractive destination. You can't get by with only 1 or 2 of these reqs, all or none
"Melo will join Lakers if Kobe convinces him" This is a tautology. Other examples include: There will be rain if water falls from the sky. The triangle she drew had three sides. or, a slightly different sort of tautology "Either Melo will join the Lakers or he won't." Any statement that is true by definition, pretty much, whether that's because of redundancy, or because it includes all possible outcomes.
