Carmelo Anthony to join Los Angeles Lakers in a 1-year deal

(Image courtesy of AP)

Free Agent, future Hall-of-Famer Carmelo Anthony has agreed to join the Los Angeles Lakers on a one-year deal.

L.A. was busy in free agency yesterday, making moves for several NBA talents. But landing veteran small-forward Anthony is the most intriguing pick of the bunch.

It’s a match made in heaven, too: Anthony is 10th on the NBA’s list of all-time highest scorers. But, despite being a 10-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA selection, Melo is yet to play in the NBA Finals… something Lakers fans will be hoping to rectify for him once he arrives on the west coast.

How did Carmelo Anthony perform in 2020?

Anthony returned to good, consistent form with the Portland Trail Blazers this past two years, averaging 13.4 points per game and shooting 40.9% from behind the line last season – the second-best 3-point shooting percentage of his entire career (1st = 42.4% in 2010).

The Brooklyn native may now be more of an impact player coming in off the bench, but Anthony’s all-around performances since making his comeback from injury in Portland were a far cry from those of his gloomy days with Houston and Oklahoma City – he’s playing good ball.

Anthony’s recent form clearly did enough to impress Lakers head coach Frank Vogel and talisman LeBron James, at any rate, and the three-time Olympic gold medal winner will now link up with a star-studded cast in the city of angels for the 2021-22 campaign.

The Pacific Division best be on guard, too, because Melo certainly has enough experience and nous to be a real gamechanger in important moments for the Lakers come October 19th.

Carmelo Anthony isn’t the only new face at the Staples Center…

(Image courtesy of AP)

The Lakers got business underway quickly during the offseason, adding future Hall-of-Famer Russel Westbrook, 32, to the ranks in a trade deal with Washington at last month’s NBA Draft.

According to multiple reports, Trevor Ariza, Malik Monk, Kent Bazemore, Wayne Ellington, and Kendrick Nunn have all either signed or are about to sign on the dotted line in L.A., too…

Then, multiple reports indicate that the eight-time All-star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard is about to return to Los Angeles to link up with LeBron!

In addition to all that, restricted free agent Talen Horton-Tucker has also penned a new, $32 million contract, keeping him in the sunshine state for the Lakers’ next trio of championship assaults.

Keeping the 20-year-old locked down for a few more years is a savvy move from LA: Horton averages 45.8% shooting and is a vibrant and energetic presence, offering something a little bit different to L.A’s new old-guard (plus, keeping the 2020 2nd Round pick around goes some way to lowering the Lakers’ average squad age).

On the topic of age, the rest of the NBA better be hoping it IS just a number because if it’s not, this Lakers team is going to dominate.