NBA Notes: Lakers, Anthony Davis, Carmelo Anthony, Rockets

Lakers

Star big man Anthony Davis isn’t giving up on the idea that the Lakers can be true title contenders next season.

“Yeah, I mean, like I said, coming off a season of not making it to the playoffs, and then coming back when didn’t really have a chance and making it to the Western Conference finals, we are definitely trending in the right direction,” Davis said, via Ryan Ward of Lakers Nation.

The Lakers could undergo some changes, of course, and not just because forward LeBron James indicated he is weighing retirement.

“We don’t know what our group is going to look like,” Davis said, via Ward. “A lot of our guys are free agents. So who knows? That’s a tough question. We don’t know what team we have next year.”

• James may not know yet if he’s returning, but he has left little doubt about his impact if he does play next season. That includes even if he needs summer foot surgery. “I’m still better than 90% of the NBA,” he said, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “Maybe 95.”
• In case you missed it, the Lakers are being linked to both Hawks guard Trae Young, and of course, Mavericks free agent guard Kyrie Irving. We have that full post here.

NBA

Veteran forward Carmelo Anthony announced his retirement Monday with zero titles and zero Finals appearances.

But one of the NBA’s greatest scorers of all time, Anthony indicated he is pleased with how his career played out.

“I’m at peace. That doesn’t bother me no more; that idea that you’re a loser if you don’t win a championship,” Anthony said in a wide-ranging feature from Chris Herring of Sports Illustrated. “For me, I’ve won. I won back in 2003, the night I shook David Stern’s hand on that [draft] stage. I made it out of Red Hook. I’ve won at life. The ring is the only thing I didn’t get. It would’ve been a great accomplishment, but I don’t regret it, because I feel like I did everything I could to get it.”

Rockets

• Along with 76ers guard James Harden, Lakers guard Austin Reaves, Nets forward Cam Johnson, Bucks center Brook Lopez and Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks are expected to be among the Rockets’ targets in free agency, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic.
• Houston is receiving calls from multiple teams on the No. 4 overall draft pick, as we relayed here. The Rockets very well could keep the pick, too.