Lakers Rumors: Latest on Carmelo Anthony and Lake Show Trade News

Believe it or not, the 2014 NBA Playoffs could be without the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. That would be the first time in league history that the three organizations have all missed the postseason in the same year.

Abysmal seasons are more commonplace for the Celtics and Knicks than the Lakers, which explains why L.A. has their sights on rebuilding a contending team in a hurry. The Knicks' biggest star is likely the man on the Lakers' wishlist.

Here's the latest news on Carmelo Anthony to the Lakers. Unfortunately for Laker Nation, it's not looking good for the purple and gold.

Melo Reportedly Prefers the Chicago Bulls over the Lakers

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

Per a source quoted by Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, Melo likes the Bulls as a potential landing spot in free agency over the Lakers. Of course, Melo still has to opt out to become a free agent.

That seems like a foregone conclusion, especially considering the fact that the Knicks aren't even a playoff team in the horrible Eastern Conference. 

If the Lakers hope to return to the playoffs, they need to add another player to team with Kobe Bryant—assuming he can return to form from injuries over the last two seasons. 

It's not hard to believe that Anthony would be opposed to joining the Lakers—at least as long as Mike D'Antoni is the head coach. Anthony struggled under D'Antoni when the latter coached him in New York.

Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images

When asked if he was shocked by how many issues Anthony had in his system, D'Antoni responded to Ian Begley of ESPN.com with this:

"Yeah, shocking."

It doesn't sound like those two could have a healthy working relationship. Would L.A. dump D'Antoni for Melo? Who knows, but it may be necessary to convince Melo to sign.

Not signing Anthony would be a significant blow to the team's hope for a short rebuilding period. Without a big-time free-agent signing, the Lakers will have to look to add and develop young players.

No Luck Yet on the Trade Market

Per Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, the Lakers may have their eye on youth and draft assets, but have found no takers. Kyler writes:

"

From what I have heard the Lakers have talked to everyone in the league about almost everything they have trying to extract youth or draft assets – there just is not a lot of desire or value surrounding what the Lakers have.

"

Luckily, the Lakers will have a good chance to obtain a favorable selection in what could be a stacked draft. Imagine if the Lakers could team Duke's Jabari Parker, Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart or Kansas' Andrew Wiggins with Kobe.

One of those potential superstars would have an opportunity to be mentored by one of the organization's all-time greats. The way things are looking, that may be the best Laker Nation can hope for.

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