Denver Nuggets had a deal done to send Carmelo Anthony to the Lakers in 2011😳 "The deal was done with the Lakers. Me and Nenê for Lamar Odom and Bynum. That deal was done. I never thought about New York… When they turned that deal down, now it's like: Oh, y'all don't want me…
Carmelo Anthony came very close to playing for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2011
NBAFriday, 23 February 2024 at 07:00
During his many years in the NBA, Carmelo Anthony made a big impact on several teams. He ended his career with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022. However, the star player and future Hall of Famer recently revealed that he could have been in LA much sooner than that if a certain deal didn't fall through.
Speaking on The Way with Dwyane Wade, Anthony said that there was a plan in place that would have sent him to the Lakers back in 2011, but he ultimately went to the New York Knicks instead.
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"The deal was done with the Lakers. Me and Nene for Lamar Odom and (Andrew) Bynum. That deal was done. I never thought about New York," Anthony said.
But what stopped it from happening and why did he move to the east coast instead of the west coast? That happened because the Nuggets decided they didn't want their best player competing against them in the Western Conference.
"When they turned that deal down, now it's like: Oh y'all don't want me in the West, gonna send me to the East. Get me to New York," Anthony said.
The rest is, of course, history. Anthony moved to the Knicks and averaged 24.7 points, 7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists during his time there. He earned his place in Knicks history and became one of the most beloved stars of that era. Anthony, a native of Brooklyn, loved his time with the iconic team.
Years later, he moved over the Lakers but his output was lessened due to his age. If he would have been there years before, he could have helped LA earn another championship.
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