NYdaily: Melo almost certainly will opt out, may join lakers

Iamabeasttt · Post #1 » by **Iamabeasttt** » Sun Aug 4, 2013 10:07 pm

The Knicks can offer Anthony the most money but the Los Angeles Lakers will be players in the free-agent market next summer and there has already been talk of Anthony joining Kobe Bryant, and even Anthony and LeBron James joining forces in the purple and gold.

Carmelo Anthony admitted “my window is closing” and that he’s “trying to bring a championship to New York ASAP.”

But the clock is ticking on Anthony’s career as well as his time in New York. The All-Star forward can become a free agent on July 1, and he will almost certainly opt out of his contract because it makes financial sense.

The Knicks can offer Anthony the most money but the Los Angeles Lakers will be players in the free-agent market next summer and there has already been talk of Anthony joining Kobe Bryant, and even Anthony and LeBron James joining forces in the purple and gold.

“As far as ruling anything out, I haven’t even, to be honest with you, thought about anything past today,” Anthony said on Saturday in Queens, where he was hosting a youth camp. “My mind is not even thinking about next season, next offseason right now. I’m just trying to do what I do this offseason to get right, work out, train and get right and prepare myself for this season. When that time comes, I’ll deal with that.”

As the Daily News reported in May, Anthony played the last month of this past season with a partially torn left shoulder. The Knicks and Anthony considered surgery, but Anthony claims the injury is healing on its own and that surgery won’t be needed.

“I took one MRI a couple months ago and it was healing back in place,” he said. “So that was the decision — should I get surgery or should I not? I’m not really a big fan of surgical procedures.

“At the end of the day it was my body, and if I felt as though I needed to go get surgery I was going to get surgery. But at that point I was hoping up until that first MRI that I didn’t need surgery and the Almighty man was with me.”

The Knicks believe they’ve upgraded their supporting cast by acquiring Andrea Bargnani in a trade with Toronto. They also signed Metta World Peace and re-signed J.R. Smith and Pablo Prigioni. Smith had knee surgery last month and may not be ready by the start of the regular season.

“I told y’all from the beginning I thought that was a steal,” Anthony said of Bargnani. “I hate to lose (Marcus) Camby and (Steve) Novak, but you get something like that back in return, it’s kind of a win-win situation. Hopefully, Bargnani’s going to come in and prove something, come in with a chip on his shoulder and be ready to rock.

“It’s hard for me to call him Metta,” Anthony added of the former Ron Artest. “To have him on our team right now brings more toughness, adds more toughness to our team, some more defensive presence. And he also can be a threat on the offensive end, so you have to respect that.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baske ... z2b2aOSDKs

Tiesto_Lakers · Post #2 » by **Tiesto_Lakers** » Sun Aug 4, 2013 10:25 pm

I'll only be happy with getting Carmelo if we get someone like Bledsoe along with him. Anthony and Bryant would be a horrible fit so I'd want someone athletic who can play defense and run the show.

jigga_man · Post #3 » by **jigga_man** » Sun Aug 4, 2013 10:43 pm

I would call this bunk but with the close relationship Kobe and Melo have I could see him signing in LA a distinct possibility. That NY team is probably a second round team again and with their contracts it will be hard for them to improve.

I know at first it seems that Melo and Bryant are redundant but it looked like Bron and Wade were too. As long as they are surrounded with quality role players and Mitch at least one other 3rd star that could play defense I think it could work.

The Skyhook · Post #4 » by **The Skyhook** » Sun Aug 4, 2013 10:54 pm

I really don't want Carmelo. He would be 30 going into the 2014 - 2015 NBA season and I honestly want my best player to be a bit younger. A younger team also means a bigger championship window so I would rather wait out until the 2015 NBA free agency class.

That is a free agent class that would feature:

Rondo
LaMarcus Aldridge
Kevin Love (If he opts out)
Marc Gasol

If you can build around those 2 or 3 guys you have one very balanced team. I trust Kobe to play more within a structure that features those guys than a system that would have Kobe and Melo chucking the ball.

leeprettyp · Post #5 » by **leeprettyp** » Sun Aug 4, 2013 11:13 pm

There was some audio out there with Shaq saying, "I'm close to Lebron and I believe he will stay in Miami or go to the Knicks". I don't know how that would possible in 2015 because the Knicks will have Carmelo, J.R. Smith, Amare and Tyson Chandlers contract on the books. But I don't think he was just blowing steam. I am one of the people a couple years ago that was supporting the idea of moving Bynum for Carmelo when he was still in Denver. We'll see where this goes I personally wouldn't mind Carmelo here. As he gets older he will just become a power forward. He has the post game to make it believable that he will still avg +24ppg for the duration of the contract he'd sign here.

AdonisDeMarion · Post #6 » by **AdonisDeMarion** » Sun Aug 4, 2013 11:55 pm

I want DMC

The Skyhook · Post #7 » by **The Skyhook** » Mon Aug 5, 2013 12:07 am

AdonisDeMarion wrote:I want DMC

I think I read somewhere that the Kings are working on an extension with DMC. Seeing how Tyreke didn't pan out there Kings would take a huge step backwards if they lost DMC.

AdonisDeMarion · Post #8 » by **AdonisDeMarion** » Mon Aug 5, 2013 12:31 am

The Skyhook wrote:
AdonisDeMarion wrote:I want DMC

I think I read somewhere that the Kings are working on an extension with DMC. Seeing how Tyreke didn't pan out there Kings would take a huge step backwards if they lost DMC.

I know but I can still dream tho. I hope he wants to leave tho. I think LA would be nice with him up front

AdonisDeMarion · Post #9 » by **AdonisDeMarion** » Mon Aug 5, 2013 12:34 am

The Skyhook wrote:
AdonisDeMarion wrote:I want DMC

I think I read somewhere that the Kings are working on an extension with DMC. Seeing how Tyreke didn't pan out there Kings would take a huge step backwards if they lost DMC.

I know but I can still dream tho. I hope he wants to leave tho. I think LA would be nice with him up front

tugs · Post #10 » by **tugs** » Mon Aug 5, 2013 1:16 am

feels so weird that some of these young stars are claiming their windows are closing while Kobe's forever open.

ballaholick · Post #11 » by **ballaholick** » Mon Aug 5, 2013 1:42 am

DMC really? the dude is a cancer and always will be, plays zero defense, and has horrible relationship with every coach he's played for. As for Melo signing with LA, Do IT MITCH!!!!!

Post #12 » by **Slava** » Mon Aug 5, 2013 2:10 am

KB24TBOTB · Post #13 » by **KB24TBOTB** » Mon Aug 5, 2013 2:41 am

SlavaMedvedenko wrote:

Kobe looks like a happy camper LOL

denimourson · Post #14 » by **denimourson** » Mon Aug 5, 2013 4:37 am

KB24TBOTB wrote:
SlavaMedvedenko wrote:

Kobe looks like a happy camper LOL

This pic would be better if Kobe had the number 8, so then it's 6,7,8

tugs · Post #15 » by **tugs** » Mon Aug 5, 2013 5:42 am

I swear those were the same reactions when this was posted sometime back. I can't find the thread.

EArl · Post #16 » by **EArl** » Mon Aug 5, 2013 5:48 am

I dont care if they come to the Lakers, but it would make for a good show on the GB.
Just to read peoples comments would be rewarding enough.

minifang · Post #17 » by **minifang** » Mon Aug 5, 2013 5:50 am

Gasol
Lebron
Melo
Kobe
Nash

Would be pretty sick.

BEazy · Post #18 » by **BEazy** » Mon Aug 5, 2013 6:12 am

This seems all too familiar...I just hope this time around if we do land Melo he doesn't leave like a little biatch.

Optms · Post #19 » by **Optms** » Mon Aug 5, 2013 6:39 am

ballaholick wrote:DMC really? the dude is a cancer and always will be, plays zero defense, and has horrible relationship with every coach he's played for. As for Melo signing with LA, Do IT MITCH!!!!!

I AND 1 your post before reading the part where Melo Signs with LA and knew I made a mistake. Don't do it, Mitch!!!!!!

Durins Baynes · Post #20 » by **Durins Baynes** » Mon Aug 5, 2013 8:03 am

Melo isn't coming. If he really wants to jump ship, there will be more attractive options. Plus Melo is all about the money. He effectively forced NY, the team he was forcing his way to, to give up more assets than they wanted to in the trade for him. Why? Because he wanted a contract extension under the old CBA, not the new one. And he was right, he would have lost a lot of money, but it highlights something important here. Melo actually put it out there that he'd sign with the Nets at the time (who were terrible) if the Knicks didn't get a trade done, forcing the Knicks to cave in. He also signed a longer contract than the other big name 2003 guys (like Wade, Bosh and Lebron) because he said the financial security was too important.

NY is going to be able to offer him way, way more money, and under the new CBA he can't get it back in a sign and trade. No way in hell he turns it down (plus, the Lakers won't even have the room for him if they keep Pau and Kobe, those guys aren't taking discounts of that magnitude).