'Melo could've been a Laker five years ago, if Jim Buss hadn't stood in the way.
The Knicks sharpshooter revealed that Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant pushed Los Angeles management to make a trade, and Carmelo Anthony was willing to go, according to The New York Daily News.
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"Kobe did," Anthony said after to reporters after practice at Madison Square Garden, the Daily News reported. "He wanted it to happen. I don't know who would have been a part of the trade.
"There was a lot of talk of (Andrew) Bynum, Lamar Odom and Nene. There was a lot of talk during that time. For some reason I was always connected with the Lakers... Maybe it was just Kobe behind closed doors."
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The trade would have taken place in January of 2011. Los Angeles was coming off back-to-back NBA titles, and Bynum was just 23 years old at the time and appeared to be a budding star at center. Buss rejected the deal, as the Daily News reported in an account in February of 2011.
"The News has learned that Jim Buss, who holds the title of Lakers VP of Player Personnel, rejected a deal for Anthony, who would gladly sign an extension with the two-time defending champs.
"Buss has strong ties to Bynum, the New Jersey native who Buss drafted right out of high school. It was Buss who refused to trade Bynum to the Nets in a deal for Jason Kidd despite Kobe Bryant pushing for the trade. In fact, both Kobe and head coach Phil Jackson are in favor of a deal for (Carmelo)."
Though Buss seemed to be have been making the right decision at the time, it's interesting to note that both Bryant and Jackson wanted Bynum gone.
Anthony had the chance to sign with the Lakers two seasons ago but opted to stay with the Knicks. He said Bryant was the only reason he was considering a move to the West Coast, according to the Daily News.
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