Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and free agent Carmelo Anthony reportedly played a game of pickup basketball on Sunday. The Lakers, meanwhile, have moved from a long-shot to a "serious contender" for Anthony, according to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.
Anthony, who met with the Lakers last week, reportedly kept busy over the weekend with a pickup game of basketball against Bryant. The two were rumored to have played together Sunday at UCLA, according to Newsday.
Anthony and Bryant are close friends, and Bryant purportedly left his European vacation to fly to Los Angeles and discuss playing for the Lakers with Anthony. ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported Bryant, who also supposedly reached out to free agent LeBron James, has changed his pitch: He wants to take more of a backseat role on the court and focus on defending, like he did in the Olympics.
Los Angeles appeared to be a longshot to land Anthony, but that may have changed since last week.
"Lakers have moved into serious contention on Carmelo Anthony, multiple sources tell Yahoo," Wojnarowski tweeted on Saturday. "'In the game now,' one source close to Melo says."
The Lakers have the salary cap space to sign Anthony and another big-name free agent, such as James. In an effort to lure Anthony, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak reportedly has already put a maximum contract offer worth $95 million on the table for Anthony.
An ESPN source present for the Lakers' pitch to Anthony Thursday described the perennial All-Star as "extremely attentive" throughout the meeting. Although Bryant was unable to attend the meeting, ESPN reported he planned to meet personally with Anthony later that night.
Anthony has said he doesn't want to drag out free agency and could have a decision as early as Monday. Regardless of his choice, Anthony cannot sign a contract until July 10.
