PORTLAND, Ore. — If the Knicks continue a season of mediocrity, Carmelo Anthony’s friends believe he just may look at the Lakers as a serious option this summer. He would join forces with Kobe Bryant, who signed a two-year, $48 million extension Monday that will still leave the Lakers with plenty of cap space to sign one superstar to a max contract.
So Anthony could fill the bill when he opts out, as he said he plans on doing.
Bryant and the Lakers will be in Brooklyn this week, though Bryant may not make his debut just yet from his Achilles tear.
Bryant will remain the league’s highest-paid player next season. The Lakers, according to ESPN LA, worked out the structure to ensure they have enough cap space to sign one max player. If they do the so-called stretch provision with Steve Nash, they would have enough for Anthony, a mid-level player and veteran’s minimum contracts.
When told Bryant’s in place for two more seasons after this, Anthony said: “What was it 40 [million a year]? They got off easy. It’s Kobe, man. They did a good deed to him. He’s been there his whole career. Obviously, he’ll bow out there. They did him right. It worked out for both parties.’’
Anthony believes Bryant has a lot left despite being 35. Certainly Anthony has to be paying attention. He has a home in Los Angeles, where his wife, La La, does a lot of her work.
While Anthony didn’t like Mike D’Antoni’s speed-ball offense in New York, they got along well during their time together in London with the U.S. Olympic team. Anthony and Bryant have been teammates with Team USA at two Olympics.
“Time will tell,’’ Anthony said of Bryant’s future as a star. “I know Kobe personally, how hard he works and his mind-set. Definitely he wants to come back not better than he was before [but] more refreshed, body healed. He’s a smart guy. If he wasn’t, he’d be playing by now. He understands the risk of coming back early.’’
Meanwhile, Anthony’s mood has been fluctuating between optimistic about the Knicks’ chance to morose over their losing. He never missed the playoffs in Denver and has never had this bad a start to a season. It’s the worst time for a rocky season as he tries to decide whether he wants to spend his career in New York.
“I have no idea,’’ Anthony said when asked how he’s remaining upbeat. “I’ m just doing it. I don’t know. That’s just me. I got to be positive and keep a smile on my face and be the rock for my teammates. I don’t know how I do it. I just do it.’’
Anthony said the Knicks aren’t having “fun’’ on the court, are “pressing’’ to make things better and needed to get the “gorilla’’ off their backs Monday against the Trail Blazers. They will continue the road trip Wednesday in Los Angeles against the Clippers and Friday in Denver.
Anthony added he felt Monday night’s game was huge as the Knicks looked to stop a five-game losing streak after starting the season 3-9.
“We got to get [the Portland game],’’ Anthony said. “Regardless of how we do it, it’s time for us to get that monkey off our back. It’s starting to turn into a gorilla. I can’t handle that.’’
Responding to J.R. Smith’s statement the club is feeling too much “pressure’’ and “overanalyzing’’ things, Anthony said, “When you’re losing, it’s not fun. Are we having fun on the basketball court? No. The game is not fun right now. We’re pressing, pressing, pressing, and it makes it worse. We’re not having fun on the court. We got to get back to that.’’