Shocking Failed Lakers-Nuggets Trade Revealed

During a recent episode of The Why with Dwyane Wade, NBA legend Carmelo Anthony revealed a shocking failed trade that would have sent him to the Los Angeles Lakers had it gone through.

"The deal was done with the Lakers," Anthony told Wade. "Me and Nenê for Lamar Odom and [Andrew] Bynum. That deal was done. I never thought about New York. But then they turned that deal down... Now it's like, 'Oh, y'all don't want me in the West? Gonna send me to the East. Get me to New York.'"

Denver Nuggets had a deal done to send Carmelo Anthony to the Lakers in 2011😳

"The deal was done with the Lakers. Me and Nenê for Lamar Odom and Bynum. That deal was done. I never thought about New York… When they turned that deal down, now it's like: Oh, y'all don't want me… pic.twitter.com/7z0EeX4Mzo
— BASKETBALL ON 𝕏 (@BASKETBALLonX) February 20, 2024

As Anthony recalls it, there was a possible deal between the Nuggets and Lakers that fell through when Denver decided they didn't want to send their franchise star to a conference rival. This is a common strategy for teams trading a star, and one the Nuggets adhered to when it was time to deal Anthony.

Of course landing with the Knicks, Anthony became a legend in New York, and the rest is history. A lot would have changed had Anthony landed with the Lakers in 2011, but he instead went to the Knicks, and continued his Hall-of-Fame career there.

This was a shocking story to hear Anthony tell, especially when considering the firepower the Lakers had at that time. It made sense for the Nuggets to send Anthony to the East, but he and Kobe Bryant would have been quite the duo.

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