Carmelo Anthony, then in Portland, and LeBron James, in an NBA game in August 2020.Mike Ehrmann / Reuters
Carmelo Anthony leaves Portland and comes to the Lakers of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The 37-year-old veteran power forward reached an agreement to play with the Los Angeles team for one year, his agent Bay Frazier confirmed to US sports media.
It's a new step in an uncertain career that has taken him to six NBA teams in their quest for their first championship ring.
The big question is whether he will be able to achieve it during his time with the Lakers, who have been reinforced this season with experienced veterans.
This week the signing of another superstar, guard Russell Westbrook, was also announced.
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Melo, as Anthony is commonly called, showed his commitment by being photographed Tuesday while training in New York with LeBron James at former player Chris Brickley's popular gym.
The friendship between the two is solid since the two players began their professional careers in the famous draft of 2003, an extraordinary vintage where Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade also arrived in the league.
The amount the Lakers had to shell out to get the player, who will begin his 19th season in December, has not been disclosed.
Some sources close to the league believe that Anthony's salary will not reach the three million dollars for the salary cap of a star-studded squad.
The salary is similar to what he had agreed to with the Blazers, who sheltered him for the last two seasons.
Originally from Brooklyn, Anthony has shown that the West Coast suits him well. His game in Portland alongside Damian Lillard improved considerably after a disastrous stint with the Houston Rockets in the 2018-2019 season, where he only played in 10 games. The power forward entered with the Blazers to number 10 of the list of all-time scorers of the league with 27,370 points and 39 of Moses Malone, the ninth place. His shooting effectiveness percentage in the 2019-2020 season returned to the brands that made him a household name in the league and led him to the NBA All-Star game ten times when he wore the Denver Nuggets jersey and the New York Knicks.
Anthony has shown himself to be a player who can contribute points from the bench. Last season with the Blazers he averaged 13.4 points per game and 41% shooting on 3-shots, something he hadn't accomplished since the 2013 season with the Knicks. Melo can now continue to pave his way to the hall of fame with a team that has a serious chance of going far in the Western Conference if injuries allow its starting five to continue.
Seniority will be one of the Lakers' marks next season with eight players over 32 years of age.
Anthony, 37, joins James, Pau Gasol and Trevor Ariza, all 36, Dwight Howard, 35, Wayne Ellington, 33 and Westbrook, 32. Anthony Davis, who has shown his leadership within the squad .
There will also be new blood.
The team announced this Tuesday, with more discretion, the signing of guard Malik Monk, 22, who comes from the Charlotte Hornets, where he averaged 11.7 points per game last season.
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