If you're keeping score at home, there have been two prominent rumors involving Carmelo Anthony so far this week; and it's only Wednesday. First there was the rumor that had Carmelo headed for the Knicks as part of a three way trade with the Timberwolves on Monday. Then on Tuesday, the rumors about 'Melo heading to the Lakers in exchange for Andrew Bynum emerged.
Some sources connected with the situation find the timing of those two rumors to be a little funny, according to Ken Berger of CBS Sports.
A third person connected to the situation said he found it "suspicious" that the Bynum-Anthony scenario would become public so soon after it was publicly revealed that the Knicks have found a willing participant in the Timberwolves to contribute to a three-team scenario that would send Anthony to New York. That person said he received some signals early last week that the Lakers and Nuggets were at least considering entering into Bynum-Anthony discussions.
"Someone is trying to scare New York," the person said.
This is a commonly held belief around the basketball world. The Knicks are probably more willing to trade the parts necessary to land Carmelo than the Lakers are, and the introduction of another potential suitor might scare them into ponying up some additional resources they may have been unwilling to part with. Nobody knows where this Lakers rumor originated, but based on the players involved, I could certainly understand if it was just being used as a source of motivation from the Nuggets front office.