Los Angeles Lakers Rumors: Carmelo Anthony no longer a priority for the Lakers

What's the news?

The window for NBA teams to make trades has now expired, however, teams looking to make further additions can still take advantage of the buyout market. The market offers veteran players on short-term deals until the end of the season, and Carmelo Anthony is currently one of the most prominent names available.

The 10-time All-Star has not played since November, although Anthony has been heavily linked with a move to the Los Angeles Lakers. Nevertheless, Brandon 'Scoop B' Robinson of Heavy.com is reporting that Melo is no longer a priority for the Lakers due to the team's failure to land Anthony Davis:

Carmelo Anthony would've been the Lakers top buyout target had they depleted their roster in an Anthony Davis trade. Now that the Lakers brought in Bullock & Muscala, Melo isn't as much of a top priority as before, I’m hearing.

In case you didn't know...

Due to successful spells with both the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony is widely regarded as one of the best scorers in NBA history. Over his 15-year career, Melo has averaged 24.0 points per game, and the 34-year-old led the league in scoring during the 2012/13 season.

Despite this, Anthony has struggled to find the same sort of consistency during his recent spells with both the Houston Rockets and OKC Thunder, and NBA executives reportedly view Melo as a liability due to his poor work on the defensive end.

The heart of the matter

Anthony is no longer an All-Star calibre player, although the veteran could still boost a playoff chasing team. During his brief stay in Houston, Anthony managed to contribute 13.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, and Melo would be motivated by finally teaming up with LeBron James. Despite this, a move to the Lakers now looks unlikely, and Melo's only option may be to link up with a less attractive team.

What's next?

The Lakers will be looking to bounce back from their disappointing defeat to the New Orleans Pelicans as they take on the Memphis Grizzlies.