NBA Rumors: Lakers May Add Carmelo Anthony But Pundits Question Team’s Longevity

The Los Angeles Lakers have unsurprisingly taken in some free agents, curiously names who have at one time donned the purple and gold.

That list includes Dwight Howard, Wayne Ellington, Trevor Ariza and Kent Bazemore. Of those four names, Howard and Ariza were part of Lakers squads that won an NBA title. Ellington and Bazemore have yet to get an NBA ring.

But of course, the Lakers need more players to fill their roster openings. And as most know, Los Angeles does not have the luxury of offering big money and will be limited to dangling minimum deals to free agents.

One name that most Lakers fans are waiting on is Carmelo Anthony. Already 37, the All-Star forward has shown that he can still be an asset off the bench. With his stint in Portland over, joining the Lakers would make sense especially since he holds close ties with LeBron James.

Given that he hardly has options or the right to demand big pay, the former scoring champion is anticipated to sign with the purple and gold in the coming days. A report from ESPN suggests that it may happen as early as Tuesday.

Assuming that it does go down, the Lakers would add another interesting piece to their roster, addressing their scoring needs. But the next question raised by critics is whether the new roster squad can last the full 2021-22 NBA season.

It will be recalled that injuries hit the Lakers hard last season. James and Anthony Davis had their share, resulting in a disappointing finish. They did have some young backers but the talent was just not enough.

This time around, they have tested players but most are no spring chickens. Injuries take their toll on players and the healing time needed is longer than most think.

Further, the durability of older players for a long season is questionable. Some players may need to play extended minutes, yet another reason why some may end up sitting on the sidelines nursing some kind of injury.

Anthony, Howard and Ariza have had their share of injuries. If the Lakers are not careful, they may just see most of their top stars on the bench. Russell Westbrook has proven to be tough as nails but at 32-years-old, he too is not spared from potential injuries.