After years of rumors that the two would join forces at some point, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony are going to be teammates. Two of the last men standing from the legendary 2003 NBA Draft will look to win a championship together in Los Angeles, as Melo will leave Portland to sign a 1-year deal (one would expect to be a minimum) with the Lakers.
The deal was first reported by Woj, with Melo quickly confirming with a clever Twitter post.
Free agent F Carmelo Anthony has agreed to a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, his manager Bay Frazier tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 3, 2021
— Carmelo Anthony (@carmeloanthony) August 3, 2021
Beyond the obvious connection between Anthony and James, the Lakers needed to fill out their wing rotation and Melo has become a very good off-ball wing in Portland, where he shot 40.9 percent from three a year ago. Adding shooters is the name of the game for the Lakers, and Anthony fits the bill in his current state.
Joining Anthony in L.A. will also be Malik Monk on a minimum deal as he looks to prove his value to winning organizations and show that his shooting uptick last year in Charlotte was for real.
Free agent G Malik Monk has agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 3, 2021
The Lakers have been very busy filling out the roster since free agency started and have now added Wayne Ellington, Trevor Ariza, Dwight Howard, Kent Bazemore, Monk, and Anthony to their group. Many have gotten a laugh out of the Lakers getting the band back together with former Lakers and how old this team will be, but a lot of the signings make sense and when you have so many minimums needed to fill, older veterans who have ties to L.A. is a pretty sure way to get guys on board.
