The Los Angeles Lakers have positioned themselves to have strong chances of landing themselves a big name in upcoming free agency in 2014, but realistic some of the names thrown out there may be out of the question.
Specifically New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony and Miami Heat forward LeBron James.
The Lakers will have enough cap room to sign either player but the chances of that happening don't appear too great.
Recently Knicks' GM Glen Grunwald said that keeping Anthony in the Big Apple remains to be a priority for the team. Grunwald said on Tuesday that he sees the Knicks as having a "long-term, successful partnership" with Anthony.
Also there is the factor about money, and Anthony would stand to lose more of it if he joined the Lakers.
If he inks another deal with another team, he can sign a four-year contract worth $95,897,372, according to calculations by ESPN salary-cap expert Larry Coon. If Anthony opts out and re-signs with the Knicks, he can sign a five-year contract worth $129,135,806. That's a difference of $33,238,434.
Also he would have to deal with possibly tarnishing his legacy, especially being that he demanded that his former Denver Nuggets work out a deal that landed him with the Knicks. He wanted to come, and if he leaves he'll be blackballed into the Dwight Howard category.
James, on the other hand, would be the most difficult signing especially after winning two championships with the Heat. If he manages to win a third or even come close, prying him from Pat Riley and the Heat franchise. Even if they fall short, Riley will be sure to add new talent around James to keep him in a Heat uniform.
There have also been rumors that James could opt to rejoin the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014 to team up with the promising young star in Kyrie Irving and former coach Mike Brown.
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