Carmelo visits Lakers

And the plot thickens...


http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/07/03/kobe-bryant-flies-back-to-los-angeles-for-carmelo-anthonys-lakers-visit/


Kobe Bryant flies back to Los Angeles for Carmelo Anthony’s Lakers visit

Dan Feldman Jul 3, 2014, 8:45 AM EDT


Carmelo Anthony‘s free agent tour – which has already hit Chicago, Houston and Dallas – continues to Los Angeles today.

The Lakers can offer a max contract, a glamorous city and a proud tradition of winning.

And, for better or worse, Kobe Bryant.

Ramona Shelburne of ESPN:

Los Angeles Lakers superstar guard Kobe Bryant flew in late Wednesday night from a European vacation so he could attend and play a key part in the team’s pitch to free-agent forward Carmelo Anthony on Thursday, sources with knowledge of the situation said.

Sources indicate the Lakers are enamored with his game and believe he would complement Bryant well. The Lakers hope to pair the two wings with center Pau Gasol, whom they met with on the first day of free agency.

The Lakers can pay Gasol more than any other team, and his fondness for the city and playing with Bryant should not be discounted. If the team can add to its roster with Anthony, sources said, Gasol would be far more inclined to re-sign with the Lakers.

Melo and Kobe are friends, so Kobe might actually be a plus here unlike with other free agents.

I’m just not sure Kobe is a total positive selling point. He’s 35 and hasn’t shown he can stay healthy. He’s still inclined to dominate the ball more than he should. And his massive contract extension will limit the Lakers’ ability to upgrade further.

Los Angeles has Pau Gasol’s bird rights, so keeping him is a little easier, but adding new pieces going forward won’t be so simple. And given Gasol’s prominent suitors – Heat, Spurs, Thunder and Bulls – retaining him is no cakewalk, even if Melo joins the fold.

Kobe, Melo and Gasol might be a solid team next year – though aging leaves potential for a massive 2012-13-level disappointment – and the Lakers would probably be thrilled with that trio. I doubt they’re willing to tank hard enough to keep their 2015 draft pick, which goes to the Suns unless it falls in the top five. At that point, nearly any steps toward immediate winning are worthwhile. The Lakers need to draw fans and sell their high-priced tickets.

But what’s in it for Melo, who could earn far more with the Knicks? Los Angeles has an advantage over many markets, but it’s not bigger than New York. And neither team faces a clear road to title contention.

If the Lakers have an edge, it’s Kobe, which is why he’s showing up today.

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KJ

Well, I'm sure Kobe is highly experienced in sweet-talking people.  Let's see how he does with Melo.

Sam

Oh what a tangled web we weave...

Melo goes to LA to be pitched by the Lakers, and while Melo's there anyway...

This story is by Adrian Woj, so it's probably not the usual "I made this stuff up so my boss will pay me today" crap we get.


http://sports.yahoo.com/news/carmelo-anthony-interested-in-talking-to-pau-gasol-about-playing-for-knicks-230446550.html


Carmelo Anthony interested in talking to Pau Gasol about playing for Knicks
Adrian Wojnarowski By Adrian Wojnarowski
46 minutes ago
Yahoo Sports


LOS ANGELES – Hours before his final meeting with New York Knicks officials, free agent Carmelo Anthony reached out to obtain free agent Pau Gasol's phone number and discuss with him the possibility of playing together at Madison Square Garden, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

The Knicks had exuded an increasing confidence they can hold off the free-agent courtships of Chicago and Houston and were further encouraged with Anthony's desire to talk to Gasol about New York, sources said.

The Knicks have a core of leadership, including president Phil Jackson, coach Derek Fisher and point guard Jose Calderon, who have strong history and relationships with Gasol, and those factors would have to play a part in overcoming the fact the Knicks can pay Gasol only the taxpayer's exception starting at $3.28 million annually.



For now, Chicago and Oklahoma City are the most intriguing destinations to Gasol, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Gasol remains a serious target of the Miami Heat, too, sources told Yahoo Sports. Miami president Pat Riley plans to meet with Gasol in Los Angeles this weekend.

Gasol, 33, has been searching for a contract in the $10 million annual range, but hasn't ruled out the possibility of taking a deal in the midlevel exception range of $5.3 million annually, sources said.


Anthony found the Bulls' and Rockets' presentations to be "tremendous," one source close to him said, and has seemed to relish in the recruiting process. The Knicks' final pitch was important, and it is believed that a week of franchises gushing over Anthony left him needing Jackson to leave no doubt that he was completely wanted in New York, sources said. In other words, Jackson risked trouble if he played it too cool.

Anthony had a 2½-hour meeting with the Lakers on Thursday afternoon, but it would take a sudden change of direction for the Lakers to become a serious contender, sources told Yahoo Sports. Kobe Bryant had tried to make it back from a European trip to attend the presentation, but a change in the meeting time ultimately left him unable to do so. Nevertheless, Bryant has a strong relationship with Anthony and has been talking to him regularly about joining the Lakers.

Anthony is expected to take the weekend to make his decision, sources said, but the process is forever fluid.



bob



.

Boy, the tension on this one is killing me.  I can't wait to see where Carmelo will land.

Sam

Carmelo would be foolish to stay with the Knicks. They are just a poorly managed franchise going nowhere with no assets or decent draft picks to look forward to.



KJ

http://bostonherald.com/sports/celtics_nba/nba_coverage/2014/07/ap_source_knicks_offer_anthony_max_contract



AP source: Knicks offer Anthony max contract
Friday, July 4, 2014
By:  Associated Press



NEW YORK — The Knicks went coast to coast to let Carmelo Anthony know they want him to stay in New York.

Team officials traveled to Los Angeles on Thursday night to meet with the free agent and offered him the maximum contract allowable, a person with knowledge of the details said.

Team President Phil Jackson and general manager Steve Mills were part of the meeting but not Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan, an official with knowledge of the plans told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details of the meeting were to remain private.

The meeting was first reported by ESPN.

Anthony was in Los Angeles to meet with the Lakers, who are among the teams hoping to convince the All-Star forward to leave New York. Anthony already visited Chicago, Houston and Dallas this week.

The Knicks can offer him the largest contract, nearly $130 million over five years, though Jackson has said he hopes Anthony would take less than a maximum deal. Anthony had previously said he would be willing to do so if it would help build a winning team, but the Knicks have made it clear the money won't be an object.

Other teams can offer Anthony slightly less than $100 million in a four-year deal, according to NBA rules.

Contracts can't be signed until July 10, so Anthony is under no rush to make a decision. But the Knicks apparently wanted to make sure they got to make a final pitch after his free agency tour.

Jackson, Mills and new coach Derek Fisher had already met with Anthony last month in Los Angeles, where he informed them he would be terminating the final year of his contract and becoming a free agent.

He has never said he wants to leave the Knicks, who acquired him from Denver in a February 2011 trade. But the 30-year-old forward also said his priority is contending for championships, and the Knicks were just 37-45 last season, the first time in Anthony's 11-year career that he missed the playoffs.



bob
MY NOTE:  Mama always said "stupid is as stupid does".


.

I sort of hope Carmelo winds up with the Lakers.  That would simply reinforce the high esteem in which I hold the Lakers.  Even now, I'm working on building up a head of esteem for a new incarnation of Showtime.

Sam

http://www.csnchicago.com/bulls/report-lakers-offer-carmelo-anthony-max-four-year-deal?p=ya5nbcs&ocid=yahoo


According to an ESPN report on Thursday night, the Lakers offered Anthony as big a deal as they could: a four-year max contract worth $95 million.


bob
MY NOTE:  If we assume it's straight across, it's $24M/year.  That's $25M for Kobe, $9M for Nash and $24M for Melo and just under $1M for Robert Sacre for a total of $59M for 4 players.  It would be interesting to see what kind of players they'd be able to afford 5-14 before they get hard capped.


.

Pau said under the right circumstances he could take the $5.3M deal. But that puts them right over the cap. Then they'd just have to sign a few players but not go over the luxury tax.


KJ