LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant said his contract extension hasn’t hindered the Lakers’ ability to do “something special’’ this summer as they look to reload — potentially stealing Carmelo Anthony from the Big Apple.
Bryant, who signed a two-year contract extension Monday, shouted down the naysayers who believe the Lakers might not have the cap flexibility to build a championship team. With some creative bookkeeping, and even with Steve Nash’s long-term contract, they still could sign a max player this summer, such as Anthony, and a mid-level caliber player to team with Pau Gasol and Bryant.
“I think the fans — and God bless them; they are fans and have good intentions, good spirit about it — but I don’t think they understand the cap or what strategically the Lakers are trying to do better than the Lakers,’’ Bryant said Tuesday night before the Lakers 116-111 loss to the Wizards in Washington. “I think we’ll be all right.”
With the Knicks in collapse mode, it’s not inconceivable for Anthony to want out and sign for less with the Lakers.
“Yeah, we have the opportunity to do that,’’ Bryant said of adding a max player. “I don’t know even know legally what I can say and not say about pending free agents and things like that, so I’ll kind of stay away from that, but we have the ability to do something special. We have to see what happens. The Lakers are a stand-up organization. They just stepped up to the plate and took care of it.’’
The Lakers play in Brooklyn tonight while Anthony is at Staples Center, perhaps his future workplace, facing the Clippers. Bryant said he is not expecting to be back for at least another week or so.
Former Knick and Net Shawne Williams said he can foresee the Kobe-Melo hookup.
“I can imagine ’cause I believe that he’s one of Kobe’s good friends,” Williams said. “And I believe that Melo is one them guys that probably needs Kobe. Just the mentality, just to rub off on him, because Kobe has a crazy mentality and a crazy work ethic. I feel like Melo probably needs that.”