Lakers News: Anthony Davis Responds to LeBron; Latest on Carmelo and Injury Buzz
Anthony Davis is unfazed.
With his name plastered all over NBA trade rumors that he could be headed to the Los Angeles Lakers in a proposed deal, LeBron James finally responded with complimentary comments.
"That would be amazing," James said, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "That would be amazing, like, duh. That would be incredible."
When asked about James' remarks, though, the New Orleans Pelicans superstar opted for indifference.
"I don't really care," Davis told ESPN's Zach Lowe. "Obviously, it's cool to hear any high-caliber player say they want to play with me. But my job is to turn this team around. If we're 15-17, that means I'm not doing my job."
Davis has been an intriguing topic for trade debate since news broke that he signed with Rich Paul of Klutch Sports nearly three months ago.
Paul is James' agent.
Another wrinkle in the Davis saga is his impending free agency.
The 6'10" power forward is expected to hit the free agent market in 2020.
But this summer, New Orleans could offer Davis a contract extension, and many believe that since his Pelicans are underachieving, he's not likely to sign a reported five-year, $239 million supermax deal that would keep him in the Big Easy.
That would force New Orleans' hand to trade him because they don't want to lose him in free agency the following summer for nothing.
Enter the Lakers.
Marc Stein of the New York Times recently reported that L.A. dreamt of "beating out" the Boston Celtics to land Davis in a deal if the Pelicans started dangling the five-time All-Star in trade talks.
According to Stein, the Lakers were offering any combination of their young core: Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and Lonzo Ball. The Celtics have better assets, but they can't make a move for Davis until they sign Kyrie Irving, who is on a rookie scale extension.
That means Magic Johnson is on the clock.
The pressure is on for L.A.'s president of basketball operations to make a deal before Boston can legally jump into the fray.
But the man in question, though flattered, isn't ready to talk about any of the league scuttlebutt.
"Right now, my focus is on this team," Davis said.
For his part, he has said all the right things to thwart the idea that he's bolting for greener pastures.
"When that time comes, of course, we will see," Davis said. "I love my teammates. I love New Orleans. I love the fans. I talk their slang. I love their food."
The three-time All-NBA first team selection found himself on the business end of controversy last month because it appeared that he was growing tired of carrying the Pelicans to relevancy.
"Of course, I know that in order to win games, a lot of pressure is going to be on me," Davis told Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes. "If we lose, it's on me. If we win, they give my team the credit and I'm fine with that.
"A perfect example [was against the Warriors]. I don't have a good game and we lose. So, I got to play almost perfect every night to give us a chance to win."
Davis is having another MVP-caliber season, averaging 28 points, 12.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 2.8 blocks and 1.8 steals per game.
Carmelo to the Lakers? LeBron Likes the Idea
LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony's dinner conversation is big news.
TMZ Sports caught the two friends and their wives exiting a steakhouse in New York City the night before the Los Angeles Lakers' 115-110 loss to the Brooklyn Nets, and the speculation about Anthony joining James in L.A. was reignited.
Not surprisingly, James was asked again about the rumors.
"I don't run the team, and obviously there are some things that would need to be worked out on both sides," James said, per ESPN's McMenamin. "But I've always wanted to play along with Melo. And if the opportunity presented itself, it would be great, so we'll see what happens."
The Lakers superstar's comments are in line with previous reports by The Athletic's Joe Vardon that he wants Melo to come to L.A.
He believes that his friend still has a lot left in the tank and doesn't want his legacy tarnished by the unsuccessful stops with the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets.
James' praises notwithstanding, the four-time MVP hasn't made any formal demands to the Lakers front office to get his friend on the team.
Anthony has been in basketball limbo since Houston announced last month that they were parting ways with him after only 10 games.
"We tried to hit a home run and it didn’t work out," Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said about Carmelo Anthony, per The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears.
The Rockets have been patient in finding a resolution for the 10-time All-Star, so they might be inclined to either trade him to the Lakers or waive him.
If waived, L.A. would need to clear a roster spot to sign him.
This past summer, Anthony was traded to the Atlanta Hawks from the OKC and signed a one-year, $2.4 million contract after the Hawks bought him out.
In his short stint with Houston, he averaged a career-low 13.4 points per game.
Lakers Hope to get McGee, Ingram and Rondo Back in Lineup
The Lakers have been short-handed due to injury, but they're hoping to be at full strength by Friday when they play host to the Pelicans, Lakers.com's Mike Trudell reported.
Both Brandon Ingram and Rajon Rondo are expected to be called up from their recent rehab assignments with the South Bay Lakers.
“They’re doing good," Lakers head coach Luke Walton said, per SB Nation's Christian Rivas. "They had a good practice today. As long as nothing swells up overnight when we get back on Thursday and practice, they’ll be with us going full speed."
Rondo has been recovering from an injured right hand, while Ingram is working his way back from an ankle injury.
Javale McGee has been out with an illness since Tuesday.
The trio's return will help the Lakers shore up their depth and allow players like Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Kyle Kuzma and Tyson Chandler to get more rest and have fresher legs to close out games.
Kuzma and Ball have both played well in extended minutes, especially Ball, who had a triple-double against the Memphis Grizzlies and a season-high 23 points in the team's 115-110 loss to Brooklyn.
He has averaged 13.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.8 assists over the last five games.
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