The LA Lakers are looking to sign Carmelo Anthony as a free agent and if they miss on him to the Bulls or Knicks, Isaiah Thomas, Trevor Ariza, Pau Gasol and Chandler Parsons are options, while a Klay Thompson trade also could be in the cards with the Golden State Warriors if they continue working on a deal with Kevin Love, according to ESPN.com.
While the media and the league would go crazy, it's pretty clear now that LeBron James isn't happening now that Bryant signed that extension, but players like Anthony and Bledsoe could be interesting options to pair with Kobe. The team has some major decisions to make and now that Bryant is in with a $50 million contract, the team will have to find ways to maneuver with a tight financial situation. The books are clear with just Bryant and Nash heading into the future so that is promising, but they will have to be smart with their money.
The Los Angeles Lakers signed their man Kobe Bryant to an expensive extension this past week and that means the superstar likely will finish his career with the franchise and moving forward the team will be looking to compete for championships and heading into the big summer of 2014, the main targets that could be good options for the team includes Carmelo Anthony and Isaiah Thomas as well as Trevor Ariza, Pau Gasol and a Klay Thompson trade, which was discussed near the draft and involved Kevin Love, according to Pro Basketball Talk.
Bryant was the highest paid player in the NBA with a $30.5 million salary before signing the contract and he will continue to have that title after the extension. Last season the Lakers had a disaster of a year with Dwight Howard in the fold and now that he is gone it appears players like Bryant and Pau Gasol are happy, as the center never took a liking to LA and never fit in with the purple and gold. The team made it into the playoffs on the finals day of the season and went just 45-37 in the regular season last year before being swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the postseason.
The team played in the playoffs without Bryant last year and many have wondered whether he will be able to play with the same intensity when he returns from his injury. The team scored over 100 points per game last season to rank sixth in the NBA in scoring, but they allowed the 22nd most points in the league on defense and will need to straighten that out to get better.
The team improved the roster and added names like Nick Young and Chris Kaman after losing Howard. While the Rockets are happy they got a superstar, the Lakers seem to be thrilled that he is gone, as it seemed like he did not want to be with the team and did not like the city or the situation with Kobe. Now Bryant has the chance to try and win one more championship with the franchise before he retires in a two year window and it will be interesting to see who they sign.