Carmelo Anthony Weighs In on Whether a LeBron James Trade Is Possible

James' former teammate unpacks whether or not The King will get dealt.

Mar 13, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) and forward Carmelo Anthony (7) argue a call with an official during the first half of the game against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

With his 15-12 team sinking down the Western Conference standings, will 20-time All-NBA Los Angeles Lakers power forward LeBron James demand a trade out of town?

Former NBA superstar forward Carmelo Anthony, who played next to James on the 2004, '08, and '12 Olympic teams (winning a pair of gold medals after that ill-fated bronze in Athens, Greece) and the 2021-22 Lakers, recently took to his own podcast, "7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony & Kid Mero" to break down what it would take for James to demand to be dealt away from Tinseltown.

Could Bron really leave the Lakers? 🤔

Melo: “LeBron makes the trade so, if he wanna get traded, he’ll get traded.”

Bomani: “I would not give Kuminga up for this version of LeBron.” pic.twitter.com/XsfWQg1hfq

— 7PM in Brooklyn (@7PMinBrooklyn) December 19, 2024

"I can't see him wanting to get traded," episode guest Bomani Jones suggested.

“LeBron makes the trade so, if he wanna get traded, he’ll get traded," Anthony responded. "I think that window closed shut. Maybe last year or before that... there was a thought that, 'Damn, this could be a possibility.'"

Anthony went on to submit that a trade centered around ascendant Golden State Warriors power forward Jonathan Kuminga and a variety of contracts and future assets could at least give both sides, Los Angeles and Golden State, pause.

For the 14-12 Warriors, the 6-foot-8 Kuminga is averaging 15.3 points while slashing .441/.315/.594, 4.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.6 blocks a night. He's mostly playing off the bench, having started just 10 of his 24 healthy bouts with Golden State.

"Kuminga being a part of the trade is a big headline, because he is a major piece," Anthony added.

"I would not give Kuminga up for this version of LeBron," Jones posited. "[What trade chip would somebody have to] put on the table and make you say, 'Okay, we'll do that for LeBron.' What is it? I don't have the answer."

"They gonna say, 'Championship, that's the only thing we can talk about right now,'" Anthony said, presumably in regards to the kind of return package the Lakers would demand in return for James.

Across a 19-year NBA career, Anthony was a 10-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA honoree while with the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks, before transitioning to an ancillary role alongside younger stars on the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, and finally James' Lakers. Across 1260 games (1120 starts), the 6-foot-7 Syracuse product boasts career averages of 22.5 poins on .447/.355/.814 shooting splits, 6.2 boards, 2.7 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.5 blocks a night.

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