LeBron James apparently wants good friend Carmelo Anthony to join him in Los Angeles and become his Lakers teammate.

That is according to The Athletic's Joe Vardon, who cites sources claiming James and his camp believe that Anthony could make an important contribution in a Lakers uniform.

Anthony, a 10-time NBA All-Star, joined the Houston Rockets during the summer following his solitary campaign with the Oklahoma City Thunder. But the Rockets decided to sever ties after only 10 games.

RELATED: CARMELO ANTHONY WAS SIMPLY A SCAPEGOAT FOR THE ROCKETS' DEEPER PROBLEMS

Per Vardon, LeBron does not want to see his friend's career end in Houston but does not want him playing on a team he doesn't want to be on either.

"He can’t be traded until at least Dec. 15, and sources said there had been no request made by James to Lakers president Magic Johnson or general manager Rob Pelinka to make a deal for his friend. Nor would there be.

"But James and his camp still believe Anthony can play, that there could be a place for him as a contributor on a Lakers’ team that is young and continues to battle injuries. Brandon Ingram is the latest casualty. His sprained left ankle will keep him for at least the next two games.

"And, broadly speaking, James does not want to see Anthony’s career end either with the Houston divorce or the 10-time All-Star playing out the string in this season in a market where he doesn’t want to be."

- Joe Vardon, The Athletic

Vardon reckons that the Lakers could use Michael Beasley as a trade piece to acquire Melo, with the $3.5 million signing going through his own struggles since moving to Los Angeles during the offseason.

However, several NBA executives have thrown water on the speculations.

“Not really, no,” an anonymous rival exec told the publication. “If LeBron really wants him, it might not matter. Magic should fight him on it. I know I would.”

What This Means

If this is true and LeBron really wants his friend playing alongside him in L.A., there could be some opposition from the team's front office, as stated above.

Also, there were two banana boat pairings in the last two seasons and neither of them worked. Dwyane Wade joined LeBron in Cleveland after his spell with the Chicago Bulls, and he was back in Miami before he knew it.

Chris Paul and Anthony teamed before the start of the season. And it's the reason we're here now.

NEXT: STRUGGLING HOUSTON ROCKETS WANT TO MAKE A TRADE BY THE END OF THE WEEK