The Los Angeles Lakers are one of more than a few the teams in the league that will be entering the new season with a virtually reconstructed lineup. Los Angeles pursued a slew of free agent signings this summer to fill out a roster that was pretty much left unmanned following the blockbuster Anthony Davis trade.
One of the players who arrived in Hollywood this offseason was veteran swingman Jared Dudley. Former NBA player Royce White, who now plies his trade in Ice Cube's BIG3, does not appear to be a big fan of Dudley, and has called out the Lakers — and LeBron James in particular — for choosing to bring on Dudley instead of 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony:
"How is [LeBron] letting his banana boat buddy wait out there in the wings? And they go sign Jared Dudley and not Carmelo."
–Royce White on why he thinks Melo is being blackballed. (via Fanatics View/YouTube) pic.twitter.com/rjq5WQ2XdV
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) August 20, 2019
White is not one to keep his thoughts to himself, and this is another example of the former 16th overall pick opening up. Nevertheless, what he's saying does actually make some sense, considering Anthony's credentials far exceed that of Dudley's.
However, it's important to see the big picture here. Dudley comes in as an experienced veteran who should be able to provide reliable minutes off the bench for new Lakers head coach Frank Vogel. We all know how Melo's career has taken a turn for the worse over the past few seasons, and the Lakers' front office clearly valued Dudley's stability over potential Melo drama.
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