Carmelo Anthony’s pursuit of his first NBA championship will continue for another season, but not with the Portland Trail Blazers.
The veteran forward agreed to sign a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Anthony confirmed the report with a tweet that included his “MELO” logo with the Lakers’ logo replacing the No. 7.
According to national NBA reporter Marc Stein, Anthony also weighed interest from the New York Knicks, the franchise he spent seven seasons with from 2010-2017.
Anthony, 37, just finished his 18th season in the league, two of which he served with the Trail Blazers as a reserve. He averaged 13.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game off the bench last year, and also shot a career-high 41% from the 3-point line.
Anthony also made significant strides on the NBA’s all-time leading scorer list last season, passing Tim Duncan, Dominique Wilkins, Oscar Robertson, Hakeem Olajuwon and Elvin Hayes for 10th with 27,370. He is 39 points from tying Moses Malone for ninth on the list.
The Lakers are retooling their roster by adding veteran players after losing in the first round to the Phoenix Suns. The team has agreed to sign Dwight Howard, Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington and Kent Bazemore since the start of the free agency period.
Anthony’s deal with the Lakers makes him teammates with longtime friend LeBron James for the first time in their careers. Both players were selected in 2003 NBA draft — James with the first overall pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers; Anthony with the third pick to the Denver Nuggets.
Anthony will also reunite with former teammate Russell Westbrook, who the Lakers recently acquired in a trade with the Washington Wizards. The two played together for one season with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
With a nucleus that includes James, Westbrook and Anthony Davis, along with a bench full of players with playoff experience, this might be Anthony’s best chance to add an NBA championship to his basketball resume that is already Hall of Fame-worthy.
Anthony’s legacy in Syracuse will always be remembered for leading the school to its only NCAA men’s basketball championship in 2003.
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