Will Carmelo Anthony, Malik Monk, Kendrick Nunn and the Los Angeles Lakers' other signings offer their new big three of Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook enough support?
The Lakers, who are set to lose Alex Caruso and Andre Drummond in free agency after agreeing to trade Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and Kyle Kuzma to the Washington Wizards for Westbrook, have been busy filling those roster spots with experienced players.
Five of the seven players the Lakers have reportedly agreed to sign (Anthony, Trevor Ariza, Kent Bazemore, Wayne Ellington and Dwight Howard) are entering at least their 10th season. Anthony and James are two of the last three players remaining from their rookie season, 2003-04, tying them with Udonis Haslem as the longest-tenured players in the NBA. Ariza and Howard, entering Year 18, are one season behind them. Monk (23) and Nunn (26) are the exceptions.
How much will all the newcomers have to offer the Lakers? Let's take a look.
Melo can be useful in the right role
The idea of Anthony reaching 19 NBA seasons seemed improbable in the fall of 2019. He remained unsigned at the start of the 2019-20 season after being unceremoniously cast off by the Houston Rockets the previous campaign, having played just 10 games in Houston. But injuries to Zach Collins and Jusuf Nurkic left the Portland Trail Blazers short-handed in the frontcourt, and they gave Anthony a call.