The Los Angeles Lakers have pressed pause on the potential acquisition of free agent forward Carmelo Anthony, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The Lakers had been leaning toward signing Anthony for the remainder of the season, but four losses in the past five games has left the organization, along with Anthony's camp wondering if it made sense to bring him into a team with very slim chances of making the postseason.
The 10-time All-Star forward had been hopeful to find a new landing spot that could spin the rather tumultuously silent season after such an abrupt end to his 10-game stint with the Houston Rockets to begin the 2018-19 season.
After the experiment failed, Anthony sat in exile, away from the team for months before he was traded to the Chicago Bulls and consequently waived days after, after the latter found no potential trade partners that would suit his departure.
Since, Anthony has been working out near his home in New York and recently garnering interest from LeBron James and the Lakers, one that seems is no longer reciprocated with the Lakers' dwindling chances of mustering the eighth and final seed in a ruthless Western Conference.
The Lakers' most recent 118-109 loss to the cellar-swelling Phoenix Suns on Saturday left the team with a record of 30-33 and very slim chances of catching their hallway rival, the L.A. Clippers for the last spot in the West.
ESPN's most recent Basketball Power Index forecasts the Lakers will have less than one percent chance to make the playoffs.
Los Angeles has also considered signing a center to bolster the frontcourt. The Lakers have 14 players aboard and are one shy of the maximum, now with JaVale McGee and Tyson Chandler as mainstays at the center position after trading Ivica Zubac to the Clippers before the trade deadline.
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