Lakers Former Champ Reveals Biggest ‘What-If’ Trade Of Kobe Era
The Los Angeles Lakers had immense success with the duo of Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. They went to three straight NBA Finals, winning twice in 2009 and 2010. But even with that success, the Lakers were still looking for a way to improve.
Speaking with Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Gasol revealed his thoughts on a potential Carmelo Anthony trade that would have had a major impact on the team and league for the following decade.
“Obviously we had a great run, three straight years,” Gasol said. “(But) players with different skillsets add something…You can’t really think about who else you would have loved to play with, if (we) would have had Carmelo.”
Gasol also spoke about Anthony’s career as a whole, with the forward being named one of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductees for 2025. Anthony played for the Nuggets, Knicks, Thunder, Rockets, Trail Blazers, and eventually closed out his career with the Lakers, finishing 10th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with three Olympic gold medals.
Gasol On A Potential Anthony To Lakers Move
In 2011, Anthony was traded from the Denver Nuggets to the New York Knicks, but according to him, a potential move to Los Angeles was originally in play. Speaking on Dwyane Wade’s podcast earlier this summer, Anthony said that it was a ‘done deal‘ that he was going to become a Laker.
“The deal was done with the Lakers. Me and Nenê for Lamar Odom and Bynum,” Anthony said. “That deal was done. I never thought about New York.”
Now, discussing Anthony’s Hall of Fame career, Gasol commented on the potential move when asked by McMenamin.
“I don’t know (how) exactly that possibility could have happened,” Gasol said. “But the coulda-shoulda-woulda’s are always interesting, because it’s all imagining of what could be in a different situation with certain people.”
During that 2010/11 season, Anthony was in the prime of his career. He was averaging 25 points on 45% shooting, but adding him to the Lakers’ lineup with Bryant as their main scorer would have been a big change to what Los Angeles was used to over the past decade.
Gasol also commented on the potential Chris Paul to the Lakers trade that never came to fruition. He said that regardless of whether either of these trades were ever finalized, the Lakers team led by him and Bryant would have looked a lot different compared to the one that was on the court.
Praise Of Anthony’s Hall Of Fame Career
Though an Anthony to Lakers trade never came to fruition, the former NCAA champion’s success in the NBA spoke for itself. Now one of the newest inductees into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Gasol discussed some of the aspects of Anthony’s game that make him deserving of the honor.
“Melo was just a very difficult guy to guard,” Gasol said. “I saw a player who was determined, who was hungry, who wanted to continue to not just establish himself but really position himself in a different category. He was always a very aggressive offensive player.”
Offensively, Anthony was one of the best players in the NBA through the first 15 years of the millennium, even with the immense talent in his generation. His isolation scoring was top-notch, he was always liable to drop 40 on any given night, and he was very consistent, mostly during his time in Denver and New York.
Gasol believes that, besides just his scoring, Anthony’s versatility was what separated him from other forwards, whether it was in the NBA or international play.
“(He) was kind of more of that stretch four, the guy who can play the three and four position…Really taking advantage of his physicality, his body, his strength,” Gasol added. “Not just a prolific scorer, but him and Kevin Durant have a unique ability with their size, with their skillset, with their mindset, of really changing the game.”
Anthony’s 28,289 total points are the 10th most in NBA history. He was previously the USA’s leading scorer in international play before Durant broke his record in 2024, but his three gold medals are tied for the second-most ever. Anthony is a six-time All-NBA and ten-time All-Star honoree, and won the 2003 college basketball national championship with Syracuse.
Kuminga Edging Closer to Warriors Nightmare Scenario
Jonathan Kuminga‘s restricted free agency shows no sign of ending. Both he and the Golden State Warriors have been locked in a stalemate all summer.
However, with training camp getting closer by the day, both sides must find an agreement sooner rather than later. According to a September 4 report by ClutchPoint’s NBA Insider Brett Siegel, it’s becoming increasingly more likely that Kuminga will opt into his qualifying offer.
“At the end of the day, Kuminga wants to feel valued, and the Warriors haven’t given him ample reasons to want to stay,” Siegel reported. “That is why all roads currently lead to Kuminga becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer and being able to choose his next home without the Dubs dictating such…With the way things have been trending, Kuminga’s “bluff” of accepting his qualifying offer appears to be on the verge of becoming the Warriors’ reality.”
Kuminga has reportedly rejected the Warriors’ previous offer, primarily due to the team option on the second year of the proposed deal. He is clearly disenchanted with his tenure in the Bay Area.
If he signs his qualifying offer, it will be the Warriors’ biggest nightmare coming true. Kuminga may feel empowered to make that decision now that Cam Thomas has done the same thing with his situation on the Brooklyn Nets. Thomas signed his qualifying offer on September 4.
Kuminga Signing Qualifying Offer Will Hurt Warriors
If Kuminga decides to sign his qualifying offer, it will be a blow to the Warriors. The franchise would lose its control over the situation. Kuminga would be free to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Therefore, Golden State’s leverage in trade negotiations would vanish.
As such, the Warriors would receive a significantly weaker trade package than if they had explored a sign-and-trade this summer. Furthermore, Kuminga would have more say on his next destination. He could essentially use his impending free agency as a no-trade clause by refusing to re-sign with a potential trade partner.
Unfortunately for the Warriors, if Kuminga decides to sign his qualifying offer, there’s nothing they can do. The standoff has to end, one way or another. Mike Dunleavy Jr. has tried multiple negotiation tactics.
At some point, you have to chalk it up to a loss. Furthermore, the Warriors must begin adding new talent to the roster ahead of preseason preparations. Enough time has been spent on Kuminga. Now, they must deal with whatever decision the former lottery pick decides to make.
Warriors’ Locker Room Remains Neutral
During a recent appearance on “Willard and Dibs” for 97.5 The Game, Brandin Podziemski discussed the impact of Kuminga’s restricted free agency on the rest of the roster. Podziemski noted how everybody still wants the explosive forward to be part of the Warriors moving forward.
“Obviously, everybody on our team knows it’s the media’s job to try to nitpick and find things to write and talk about and separate teammates so they have a story to write,” Podziemski said. “Everybody in the locker room knows no matter how that situation’s resolved, it doesn’t change our viewpoint of JK as a person [and] as a player. Obviously, we all want him to be in the Golden State. That’s the whole point. But it doesn’t change anything.”
Kuminga has reportedly drawn interest from the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns this summer. However, he’s unlikely to move teams until the February 2026 trade deadline, at the earliest.
