NBA Rumors: Lakers' Interest In Markieff Morris Puts Carmelo Anthony On Hold

With an open roster spot in the Los Angeles Lakers roster, the consensus is that Carmelo Anthony has the inside track. But it seems that there is a new player in the mix by the name of Markieff Morris.

Traded by the Washington Wizards to the New Orleans Pelicans, the 29-year-old forward would, later on, be released by the Pelicans. His case is apparently no different from select NBA players who were traded but would later on be waived. Once he clears waivers, the 13th overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft is reportedly a target of several teams, NBA.com reported.

One team that is interested in the services of Morris is the Lakers. According to the Los Angeles Times, the purple and gold are interested in adding him to the roster provided that he is healthy. Morris is dealing with a neck injury and has not played since Dec. 26, 2018.

As mentioned in a previous post, the roster spot materialized after the Lakers traded away Michael Beasley and Ivica Zubac to the Clippers for Mike Muscala. Muscala is likely to take the spot of Zubac, while Beasley's slot is what many believe would be perfect for Anthony. In another previous report, it was mentioned that the only way that Melo could join the Lakers was if a roster spot would open.

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka refused to address talk pertaining to Anthony, but he did divulge that Los Angeles is evaluating a handful of potential players to fill up that open spot. There was no mention of Melo's name. Surprisingly, it was Morris who entered the picture.

Although Morris owns a decent shot from the outside, his injury could be a big blow for him to head to Hollywood. The neck injury seems quite serious, raising further questions on when he can actually return to active duty. With the current NBA season winding down, the Lakers need to fill up that roster spot with someone they can use at the earliest.

Aside from Anthony and Morris, the Lakers may have their eyes on other players who have been bought out or waived. After acquiring Reggie Bullock, the Lakers could also go for a point guard to help hone up the backcourt.