After losing Dwight Howard in 2013, the Los Angeles Lakers may be faced with such a scenario for the second summer in a row. The primary target this time is New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony, widely assumed to be the best available free agent in the event LeBron James remains with the Miami Heat.
The Lakers put on a show for Anthony on Thursday—literally. Franchise representatives led by general manager Mitch Kupchak showed the 30-year-old a short film by Matrix producer Joel Silver, hoping the allure of Hollywood would remind him of the potential opportunities awaiting on the West Coast.
The recruitment has been an ongoing process to be sure.
According to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, "[Kobe] Bryant and Anthony have been in consistent contact this summer."
ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne reports that, "Bryant has a long history and friendship with Anthony and has been courting him for some time, but he felt it was important to be there when the Lakers made their pitch."
As it turns out, Bryant wound up missing the meeting due to a scheduling change but intended to meet with Anthony separately at some point after he first spoke with representatives from the Knicks.
The Lakers made their pitch after Anthony had already met with contingents from the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks in their respective locations. Los Angeles certainly has some compelling things to offer—the chance to play with Bryant and a franchise with a long-term commitment to contending among them.
It also has money and cap flexibility.
All of those things could go a long way in persuading Anthony that a change of scenery is in order.
So could the possibility of teaming him with both Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin and Ramona Shelburne report:
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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
