Carmelo Anthony spent part of last season talking to the Bulls.
But his then-Knicks teammate Tyson Chandler – apparently ignoring Melo himself – thought the Lakers were most likely to lure Melo from New York.
Michael Lee of The Washington Post:
Tyson on Carmelo: "I thought if anywhere he was going it was to the Lakers" but they "didn’t have a strong enough roster to tempt him."
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) October 10, 2014
This is very obviously true.
I mean, Melo certainly wanted the extra money the Knicks could pay him, but the Lakers’ sad state of affairs made them less desirable. The Lakers will probably be worse than even the Knicks this season.
The Lakers tried hard to get Melo – producing a movie, bringing in Kobe Bryant. It might have made an impression.
But that roster…
An aging Kobe just isn’t likely to lift the Lakers, even with Melo at his side, deep into the playoffs.
Melo obviously recognized that. Mitch Kupchak clearly realized that. Everyone realized that.
And that includes Chandler.
Few players go as far as saying something so negative about another team, though. Maybe Chandler catches a little heat for it, but he shouldn’t. It’s just truth.
On the bright side for the Lakers, that they overcame their weak roster to still contend for Melo shows how much their prestige works in their favor.
