NBA: Lebron sympathetic for Lakers teammates on deadline day FREE now and never miss the top F1 stories again SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top F1 stories again When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. With only 30 minutes left until the trade deadline, the Lakers have finally agreed a trade after countless negotiations. Davis was their clear first choice, but they have been unable to reach an agreement with the New Orleans Pelicans. However, they have agreed a deal with the LA Clippers. The Lakers will send Ivica Zubac and Michael Beasley to the Clippers in return for Mike Muscala. This trade has opened up a roster space for the Lakers, enabling them to scope the buyout market. And it looks increasingly likely that Carmelo Anthony will finally team up with LeBron James. The Houston Rockets finally agreed a trade for Anthony last month, sending him to the Chicago Bulls. But he never played a game for the Bulls as they waived him to allow the 10-time All-Star to become a free agent. There has been numerous reports suggesting the Lakers were interested in signing Anthony as a free agent, but they never had the roster space available. The Los Angeles Lakers have opened up a roster spot for Carmelo Anthony Ivica Zubac has been traded to the Clippers LeBron James wants to team up with Carmelo Anthony James has been asked repeatedly about the Lakers’ interest in Anthony and dropped a big hint in December that he wanted it to happen. “I’ve always wanted to play with Melo and if the opportunity presents itself it would be great,” James said. Both James and Anthony were drafted to the NBA in 2003 and there have always been reports about the long-time friends wanting to link up. For the Clippers, Zubac will come in as the starting centre for the remainder of the season. Mike Muscala has been traded by the Clippers to the Lakers<doc-sep>This isn’t what the Lakers dreamed of heading toward the trade deadline, but it’s what they’re going to get. Anthony Davis is not going to be a Laker. Not this week anyway. But with a few moves late, it appears the Lakers are setting up for a consolation prize: Carmelo Anthony. Is it what they wanted? No. Is it the worst thing in the world for the Lakers? Also no. Let’s break down what happened and how they got here. The Pelicans were never trading Anthony Davis to the Lakers I wrote about this earlier today, but it’s become clear that New Orleans never seriously considered dealing Anthony Davis before the trade deadline, and especially not to the Lakers. This might be because the team is waiting until the offseason, when teams like the Celtics or Knicks might be able to offer something more substantial (Jayson Tatum? Zion Williamson?) in a trade. But the reason no deal was done seems also to be a result of the fact that the Pelicans were bent on not letting the Lakers get him. On Thursday reports came out that the entire negotiations between the two teams were a sham meant to punish the Lakers for alleged tampering with regards to Davis. And they worked. By leaking a lot of the offers from the Lakers, the Pelicans made public that they were willing to part with most of their team in pursuit of Davis, which left a lot of unhappy Lakers. Related The Pelicans did the Lakers dirty LeBron James and the Lakers are left in a tough spot Not only are the Lakers not getting their man, but the leaks that came out of the negotiations are reportedly causing major internal strife within the Lakers. This all came to a head with a 42-point loss to the Pacers that saw LeBron James sitting by himself on the edge of the bench. This is a real issue. So no Davis. Ticked off teammates. The Warriors are still the Warriors. Many of the Eastern Conference teams made moves at the trade deadline that made them interesting. LeBron and the Lakers aren’t in a position to tank, which leaves them with not a ton of options. Enter Carmelo Anthony By trading away Michael Beasley, the Lakers made moves on Thursday to open up a roster spot. It seems clear that they’ll go after the recently released Carmelo Anthony. In a way, this makes sense. The Lakers won’t have to commit to Anthony long-term to sign him now. In the short term, it gives them a scorer who gets along well with LeBron and can help get the Lakers to (maybe) snag one of the Western Conference playoff spots. They’re not winning a title this year, but barring them landing Davis, they were never going to contend. This gives them the chance to see which young guys can hang in the playoffs, not commit any serious money long term, and hopefully make a run at Davis (or Kevin Durant) when they become free agents. Is it what Lakers fans wanted? Absolutely not. But it’s far from the worst thing that could have happened this deadline.<doc-sep>
Seth Wenig/Associated Press The Los Angeles Lakers opened up a roster spot before Thursday's deadline, sending Michael Beasley and Ivica Zubac to the Clippers in exchange for Mike Muscala. Carmelo Anthony could be the player who fills that slot. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Lakers plan to survey the entire buyout market but are considering Anthony for their 15th roster spot. The Chicago Bulls waived Anthony earlier this month. Melo played 10 games with the Houston Rockets earlier this season before the two sides mutually parted ways. He remained part of their active roster until the Rockets sent him to Chicago in a cost-cutting move. The Lakers walked away from the deadline disappointed. Their two-for-one deal to clear a roster spot for Anthony or another veteran was their only major move. The Lakers had been aggressive in talks for Anthony Davis but were rebuffed by the New Orleans Pelicans. It's unclear what level of production Anthony could give the Lakers at this point. He averaged 13.4 points and 5.4 rebounds on 40.5 percent shooting with Houston, struggling to fit in while playing off the bench for the first time in his career. The Rockets were nearly 16 points per 100 possessions worse when Anthony was on the floor, per Basketball Reference. "At this point, I just want to be happy," Anthony told MSG Network last month. "I think I've put myself in a good, peaceful mind state right now, [being] able to focus in on what I need to focus in on. And whatever's going to make me happy, then we're going to make it happen." Video Play Button Videos you might like Going to L.A. is one potential way to make Melo and LeBron James happy. The two are longtime friends and have never gotten the opportunity to play together outside of the Olympics. Given the Lakers' failure to get LeBron help at the deadline, perhaps acquiring a friend will be enough to placate the four-time MVP going into the summer.