Los Angeles Lakers News: Free Agency of Carmelo Anthony, and how Patrick Beverley's Acquisition Factors In

After arguably the most disappointing season in franchise history, the Los Angeles Lakers have had a reasonably solid offseason. They hired Darvin Ham as their coach and bought a draft pick from the Orlando Magic, selecting Max Christie at pick #35 from Michigan State. And finally, they made a trade on Tuesday night for long-time antagonist Patrick Beverley.

Lakers So Far This Offseason

They signed undrafted rookies Scotty Pippen Jr. and Cole Swider to two-way contacts. The Lakers addressed their center position in free agency by signing former Lakers Damian Jones and Thomas Bryant. They added youth and versatility on the wing with Lonnie Walker, Juan Tuscano-Anderson and Troy Brown. None of their veteran free agents have yet been re-signed.

New addition Troy Brown will wear #7, causing speculation about Melo's return to the purple and gold.

At the beginning of free agency, 10 former Lakers were on the free agent market: Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, Kent Bazemore, Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington, DJ Augustin, Avery Bradley, Darren Collison, Rajon Rondo, and Isaiah Thomas.

Rondo was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers during the season to provide veteran leadership and fill in for Ricky Rubio as the backup PG. Isaiah Thomas ended the season as a veteran spark plug off the bench for the Charlotte Hornets. Only Kent Bazemore could find another deal, signing a 1-year contract with the Sacramento Kings.

When the Lakers announced his signing, they noted that Troy Brown would wear #7. One notable player who wore that number as a Laker (and for a good portion of his career) is Carmelo Anthony. Fans wondered if that could indicate that Anthony, an unrestricted free agent, will not return to the purple and gold.

Last season with the Chicago Bulls, Brown was a regular in the rotation, mainly as a backup small forward and occasionally at power forward. After the addition of veteran Tristan Thompson and the return of second-year forward Patrick Williams, his playing time diminished significantly. He only played during mop-up duty in the playoffs.

He will compete for minutes in the rotation on the wing, along with Walker, Tuscano-Anderson, Christie and Swider.

Lakers Need Scoring and Shooting

Lonnie Walker will help provide scoring and athleticism after the departure of Malik Monk.

As mentioned, the Lakers signed rookie forward Cole Swider from Syracuse to a two-way contract. He showed promise as a potential three-point specialist, a Ia Duncan Robinson in the Summer League. However, he has work to do defensively at this stage.

Lonnie Walker is known for being a scorer and athletic slasher with the Spurs. Juan Tuscano-Anderson established himself with the Warriors as an athletic, versatile and multipositional defender. Troy Brown has shown 3-and-D potential in his stops with the Wizards and Bulls. However, neither player is mainly known for shooting.

With Malik Monk signing with the Sacramento Kings, there is still a need for a shooter.

This need is where Melo could help. At 38, Anthony is not what he once was and has defensive limitations. Teams targeted him, especially in pick-and-rolls. But at times, he showed effort on that end, even when forced to guard 4s and 5s.

Anthony averaged 13.3 points and 4.9 rebounds in 26.0 minutes in 69 games. He shot 37.5 percent from 3-point range and was among the team leaders. One of the most notable games for Anthony was 28 points in an October victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, including six three-pointers.

Warriors' Interest and Possibility of Lakers' Return

After being one of the few bright spots on the Lakers last season, Anthony has garnered interest in the free agent market from various teams. One such team could be the reigning NBA Champion Golden State Warriors.

There is an opening for the Warriors at the backup forward position with Otto Porter Jr. He was vital in the regular season and playoffs but signed with the Toronto Raptors in free agency.

Carmelo Anthony could be a possibility for the Warriors as a replacement for Otto Porter, Jr.

Second-year man Jonathan Kuminga is expected to get an increase in minutes, and JaMychal Green recently signed. He is expected to see minutes at power forward and center. With the Warriors being the favorites to repeat, it could also give Anthony a chance at finally winning a ring after 20 years in the league.

Other teams linked to Anthony are the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets. There also have been persistent rumors about Anthony returning to his original team, the Denver Nuggets, to close out his career.

Lakers Get Pat Bev; Importance and Impact of Acquisition

Late on Tuesday night, the Lakers acquired long-time rival and irritant Patrick Beverley from the Utah Jazz for Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson.

Beverley, who has been booed for years as a visitor, will provide a needed defensive edge, nastiness and leadership. He also can help on the boards despite standing at 6-foot-1.

The move clears a roster spot and creates more of a vacancy on the wing, with both THT and Johnson departing. Therefore, re-signing Melo could be more of a necessity, depending on the next move.

Given the fit and their acrimonious history, it is widely expected that media day won't open with Westbrook and Beverley on the roster. Rumors have swirled about sending Westbrook to the Indiana Pacers for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield.

The Lakers would gain a rim protector and stretch 5 with Turner (along with insurance for AD), and Hield would provide much-needed shooting and scoring. This trade would negate the need for Anthony.

The Lakers are said to have had productive talks about bringing Carmelo Anthony back. An anonymous exec predicts that Melo will return.

Melo's close brotherhood with LeBron will likely be a factor in a potential return.

The well-known close friendship and brotherhood with LeBron James is an essential factor. Coach Darvin Ham, looking to shape a new identity for the franchise, could have something to say about a potential return.