Lakers add Melo, reportedly sign Monk

Carmelo Anthony is joining the Los Angeles Lakers on a one-year contract for his 19th NBA season, his manager told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Lakers also agreed to a deal with free-agent guard Malik Monk, reports Wojnarowski.

Anthony heads to L.A. after two seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, where he revived his career in a secondary scoring role. He'll finally play alongside close friend LeBron James after years of speculation about the two potentially teaming up.

The 37-year-old Anthony averaged 13.4 points per game last season to go with 3.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists. He converted over 40% of his shots from deep for the first time since his 2013-14 campaign with the New York Knicks.

Monk joins the Lakers following a four-year stint with the Charlotte Hornets. The former Kentucky standout never blossomed into the star scorer Charlotte envisioned when it drafted him 11th overall in 2017, but he averaged a career-best 11.7 points per game last season while shooting 40.1% from 3-point range.

The Lakers' roster has already undergone significant turnover in the wake of a disappointing 2020-21 campaign. The team has a deal in place to acquire former MVP guard Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards, and center Dwight Howard is poised for his third run with the franchise. Meanwhile, guard Alex Caruso and center Andre Drummond are set to depart for the Chicago Bulls and Philadelphia 76ers, respectively.

L.A. will add Anthony and Monk to a veteran-laden roster in hopes of returning to championship contention. The Lakers won the NBA title two seasons ago, albeit with a vastly different cast of characters supporting James and Anthony Davis. They're on track to feature one of the oldest rosters in the league:

The Lakers also now have three former scoring champions in James, Anthony, and Westbrook.