Los Angeles Lakers: Should the team wait or just sign Carmelo?

The buyout options are dwindling for the Los Angeles Lakers and the one name that most fans don’t want to hear remains: Carmelo Anthony.

The Los Angeles Lakers opened up a roster spot by trading Ivica Zubac and Michael Beasley to the Los Angeles Clippers for Mike Muscala. The trade initially seemed to just be for that open roster spot, however, reports now indicate that the Lakers didn’t think they could afford Zubac this offseason.

Zubac is a restricted free agent this summer and the Lakers would have to match any offer he accepts to keep him. It makes sense for the team to at least open up a roster spot this year knowing that might be a reality.

The only problem is that the buyout options are slowly dwindling and the Lakers haven’t gotten anyone. Wayne Ellington signed with the Detroit Pistons, Enes Kanter signed with the Portland Trailblazers and Markieff Morris signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Morris was the biggest hit to the Lakers. Morris was the only buyout option that the Los Angeles Lakers had legitimate ties to. Well, besides the elephant in the room that is still available.

Carmelo Anthony.

The Lakers have been tied to Anthony for months, mostly because of his low-risk contract and his relationship with LeBron James. Five years ago this might have been promising but in 2019 Melo’s production has dipped significantly.

The fact that the Thunder and Houston Rockets both got better once Melo stopped playing for them is a very bad sign for Carmelo’s future.

Now the Lakers are at a crossroads. Does the team just go with the speculation and take a chance on Anthony as the final roster spot? There are other people on the buyout market but nobody right now would really have much of an impact on the Lakers.

Or does the team holdout and wait that a team that falls out of contention buys a veteran out?

It has to be the latter. One guy that I have been circling for the Lakers is Taj Gibson, who is a realistic buyout option if the Minnesota Timberwolves are still out of the playoff picture as March comes into swing.

Aside from Gibson there really isn’t much that should excite the Lakers to wait and potentially risk not signing anyone.

However, the worst-case scenario here is still Anthony, which I guess is better than nothing. No team is probably going to sign Anthony. So if we are three weeks into March and Gibson is still in Minnesota, the Lakers might as well not waste the roster spot.

Wait a month and then if nothing happens then make Carmelo Anthony a Laker. Anything sooner than that and the Lakers could miss out on something better.