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Carmelo Anthony Says Nuggets Rebuffed Lakers’ Blockbuster Trade Offer in 2011

Anthony was close to joining Kobe Bryant with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Tim Capurso

Carmelo Anthony Says Nuggets Rebuffed Lakers’ Blockbuster Trade Offer in 2011
Carmelo Anthony Says Nuggets Rebuffed Lakers’ Blockbuster Trade Offer in 2011 /
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Carmelo Anthony nearly joined Kobe Bryant with the Los Angeles Lakers back in 2011. 

Anthony, who spent 7 1/2 seasons with the Denver Nuggets before he was dealt to the New York Knicks in a three-team blockbuster trade in February 2011, shared that the Nuggets had a deal in place to send him to the Lakers before he ultimately landed in the Big Apple. 

During a recent appearance on the podcast The Why with Dwyane Wade, Anthony discussed the Nuggets-Lakers trade with his close friend and fellow former NBA star, telling the longtime Miami Heat guard that former Denver coach George Karl nixed the deal. 

“The deal was done with the Lakers. Me and Nenê [Hilario] for Lamar Odom and [Andrew] Bynum. That deal was done,” Anthony said, before revealing that it was Karl, with whom he has an ongoing feud, who “turned that deal down.” 

Anthony, who spent 19 seasons in the NBA, said the Nuggets then explored trading him to the Eastern Conference after they rebuffed the Lakers’ blockbuster offer. 

The prospect of Anthony, who ranks ninth on the all-time scoring list, and Bryant, who ranks fourth, on the same team is a scary thought indeed, especially considering that Los Angeles was coming off back to back NBA championships in 2009 and ’10.

Anthony went on to enjoy a successful tenure with the Knicks, leading them to three postseason appearances during his time in New York. The 10-time All-star announced his retirement in May 2023.

But he never won a championship in his career. One wonders if that would have changed had he ended up on the Lakers roster alongside Bryant. 

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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