The Los Angeles Lakers were one of the teams rumored to be in the hunt for Anthony and now that the New York Knicks have taken that option off the table, where do the Lakers turn for help improving their roster?
There are numerous marginal players the Lakers can entertain for the short term, but the convergence of stars in Miami and New York has to have general manager Mitch Kupchak considering the long view.
The next batch of high-profile free agents will include players such as Deron Williams, Dwight Howard and Chris Paul, and it makes sense that Los Angeles would be in the hunt for one or more of those talents.
It seems plausible that Paul will attempt to join Amar'e Stoudemire and Anthony in New York, considering the close friendship that Anthony and Paul share, but less mentioned has been the potential fate of Williams.
Conventional wisdom says that Williams will look to re-sign in Utah once his current contract expires, but the recent riff between Williams and former coach Jerry Sloan throws that assumption into doubt.
We now know that Williams and Sloan did not enjoy the same type of point guard-coach relationship that Sloan shared with former Jazz great John Stockton and if Williams hopes to compete for a championship anytime soon, then a change of location may be needed.
Last offseason, the Jazz lost key players such as Carlos Boozer, Wesley Matthews and Ronnie Brewer to free agency, and although Utah did manage to land Al Jefferson they have not recovered from losing so many impact players.
Furthermore, the prospects of attracting major free agents to Salt Lake City looks slim when compared to the advantages of playing in a major market.
The point guard position has been a const...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
