NBA Trade Rumors: Lakers Become Most Likely Destination Of High-Scoring Champion

KEY POINTS

Carmelo Anthony is rumored to join the Los Angeles Lakers
Anthony pairing with LeBron James may be a short-term solution for the Lakers
Adding Anthony could dampen hopes of seeing young stars shine in a Lakers uniform

Carmelo Anthony is most likely to end up looking for a new team this offseason, and the Los Angeles Lakers could be it.

The former NBA scoring champion holds low chances of returning with the Portland Trail Blazers, and there are several teams expected to consider him.

But at 37 years old, Anthony may prefer joining a team that has good chances at winning an NBA title.

Anthony has proven he can still score even with a diminished role. In two seasons with the Blazers, the 10-time All-Star normed 14.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 28.3 minutes of action.

Furthermore, he owned a 43.9% shooting clip from the field and 39.9% from beyond the arc.

Those are fair numbers that the Lakers could be looking for. In addition, it would fulfill dreams of seeing him pairing up with LeBron James according to an unnamed source cited by NBA Analysis Network.

The franchise needs some scoring punch off the bench, something that they sorely lacked this 2020-21 season.

The Lakers are expected to add new talent to bounce back after a sorry season that saw James and Anthony Davis fall prey to injuries.

However, there are some concerns should this James-Anthony partnership happen. One is that while both are proven scorers, they are way past their prime.

Hence, this move could be more of a short-term move for the Lakers to bounce back next NBA season.

James is not that young as well at 36. Critics are likely to question if this would be the right move even if it does look good on paper.

LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives against Carmelo Anthony #00 of the Portland Trail Blazers Getty Images | Ashley Landis-Pool

Also, adding Anthony means players like Kyle Kuzma could get lesser playing time if not dealt away.

The 25-year-old has struggled to co-exist with James and Davis, and his name has been frequently mentioned in the trade rumor mill as of late.

Other Lakers whose names are swirling in trade talk include Talen Horton-Tucker and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Dennis Schroder, Montrezl Harrell and Andre Drummond are not certain to return, meaning it will be a pretty interesting offseason for Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and head coach Frank Vogel.