After dining together at NYC steakhouse, LeBron says it would be ‘great’ to play with Carmelo

By ADAM ZAGORIA

LeBron James says it would be “great” to play with Carmelo Anthony, his good friend and classmate in the 2003 NBA Draft.

“I don’t run the team and obviously there’s some things that need to be worked out on both sides,” James said of the possibility of the Lakers adding Anthony after the Lakers lost to Brooklyn, 115-110, Tuesday night, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “But I’ve always wanted to play along Melo and if the opportunity presents itself, it would be great. So we’ll see what happens.”

As of Dec. 15, Anthony can be traded but The Athletic  recently reported James had not made a request to Lakers president Magic Johnson or GM Rob Pelinka to make a deal for Anthony.

Anthony and James were filmed by TMZ coming out of a New York City steakhouse on Monday with their wives.

LeBron James Hangs with Carmelo Anthony In Wake of Lakers Rumors https://t.co/LJlGZQvlHs pic.twitter.com/GWndIU4WRm

— Celebrity News (@CelebrityN_More) December 18, 2018

The Lakers are currently 18-13 and the No. 4 seed in the strong Western Conference.

Anthony could potentially serve as another veteran presence on a young team that includes Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma, as well as a group of so-called “misfits” like Lance Stephenson, Michael Beasley and the injured Rajon Rondo.

The Rockets waived Anthony last month and he played his final game with them on Nov. 8.

Anthony played just 10 games for the Rockets after signing a one-year, $2.4 million deal during the offseason.

Anthony was traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Atlanta Hawks in July before the Hawks released him to clear the way for him to sign with the Rockets.

The 34-year-old is a 10-time All-Star who has had a tough time over the last two seasons. He averaged a career-low 16.2 points in 78 starts in a tumultuous season for the Thunder last season before coming to Houston — and accepting a reserve role for the first time in his 16-year career.

Eight of Anthony’s 10 appearances for the Rockets came off the bench after he had started all 1,054 games he’d played in his first 15 NBA seasons.

The third overall pick in the 2003 draft has averaged 24 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3 assists in a career that also included stints with the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks.

(The AP contributed)

Photo: Harry How/Getty Images

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