ESPN's Chris Broussard is reporting today that the Los Angeles Lakers have begun preliminary talks with the Denver Nuggets about acquiring disgruntled star Carmelo Anthony.
The report suggests that the Lakers would use young but oft-injured center Andrew Bynum as the centerpiece of a deal.
It is uncertain as to whether the Nuggets would want Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak to include another player, like sixth man Lamar Odom, or whether a straight-up swap of Bynum for 'Melo would work under the current collective bargaining agreement.
Don't expect Ron Artest to be an option, as his deteriorated game and bloated salary make him somewhat anathema to Denver GM Masai Ujiri and his attempt to rebuild the Nuggets.
The question remains, why would either team agree to this deal?
The Nuggets have been trying to get rid of Anthony for months, ever since he turned down the team's offer of a three-year, $65 million extension.
Most of the speculation since that time has centered around Anthony going to the New York Knicks or the New Jersey Nets, with a move to the Meadowlands seeming imminent up until recent weeks, when Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov pulled the plug on a three-team deal with Detroit after things got out of hand.
That deal would have netted Denver a veritable boatload of draft picks and young players, including big man Derrick Favors, thereby accelerating the Nuggets roster reconstruction.
This deal would presumably gain the Nuggets only Bynum, lest the powers that be in the organization decide to take on salary, which seems unlikely considering previous attempts by the front office to dump salary along with Carmelo.
At 23-years-of-age and 7'0" tall, Bynum still has tremendous upside to go along with his considerable actualized skill and ability, though he has bee...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
