Still reeling from Dwight Howard’s free agency defection to Houston, the Los Angeles Lakers are planning to target both LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony in 2014 free agency, according to ESPN.
In perhaps the ultimate NBA rebuilding plan, the Lakers are hoping to unite the two mega stars and are now actively clearing space to be able to offer each of them a max deal. After this upcoming season, only veteran guard Steve Nash and reserve center Robert Sacre will be under contract.
ESPN didn’t speculate on what such a plan could mean for the career of longtime franchise star Kobe Bryant. A free agent after this season, Bryant has recently hinted he’d like to play at least a couple more years beyond 2014.
One thing, however, seems crystal clear: the Lakers shouldn’t be expecting any kind of company discount from their most valuable asset in bringing their big, bold plan to fruition.
“As a businessman the goal is always to not take a pay cut,” Bryant, who will make a league-high $30.5 million in salary this season, recently told ESPN. Bryant also told the website he plans to be involved in all the team’s upcoming recruiting efforts.
In a 2014 summer that could also see Dwyane Wade, Amare Stoudemire, Chris Bosh, Luol Deng and Dirk Nowitzki as free agents, James remains the linchpin. "It's not about where LeBron wants to go to win,” a source told ESPN. “He already has two rings. If LeBron moved to Reno, teams would come to him."
Anthony's plans also remain unclear for next summer, but one source close to the situation told ESPN that it would "make sense" for him to exercise the early termination option on his contract to become a free agent and secure either a four- or five-year extension.
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