There are several NBA players waiting in the wings, some of which are veterans who ended up sitting out the 2018-19 season due to differences with their teams. Two names come to mind – J.R. Smith and Carmelo Anthony, familiar names who ironically once suited up for the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks. Both could end up as teammates with the Los Angeles Lakers next season and join LeBron James.

J.R.Smith, out of action since November after lashing out at the Cleveland Cavaliers for lacking the will to win, will know his fate by the end of the month. His contract is one reason why most teams have opted to hold off. If the 33-year-old would get waived before June 30, he would be guaranteed a $15.68 million paycheck. Those numbers would drop considerably to just $3.87 million after that said date. According to the Big Lead, that may be what the Lakers have in mind with plans of picking up the veteran swingman once he hits NBA free agency.

For his part, Carmelo Anthony played only 10 games for the Houston Rockets before getting shelved. He would eventually be traded to the Chicago Bulls but would be waived in February. The Lakers have repeatedly been mentioned as a landing spot considering he holds ties with James. The only other team linked to the 10-time NBA All-Star is the New York Knicks although league executives feel that he will resume his playing career with the Lakers next season, SNY reported.

A Knicks reunion would have made sense only if New York was a team looking to add another player to join a formidable team. But with plans to bring in Durant going kaput, the consensus is that the Gotham-based squad may opt to bring in younger legs and continue their rebuilding efforts. That obviously pales in comparison to what the Lakers are trying to pull off for next NBA season.

With Anthony Davis set to join James in Hollywood, Anthony and Smith may be coming in at the right time. The Lakers do need wing players who can score buckets in a hurry and the two have reportedly proven that in the past. However, these are players in the mid-30s and such could factor in when Los Angeles faces teams with younger players. There is also the issue of money on the table seeing how the Lakers are cash-strapped with only $23.7 million available in salary space. A shot at winning an NBA title could alleviate that but perhaps only for the 2019-20 NBA wars.

Carmelo Anthony Rockets Lakers
LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Carmelo Anthony #7 of the Houston Rockets wait for an inbound at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Oct. 20, 2018. Harry How/Getty Images
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