We last saw veteran forward Jared Dudley wearing a Brooklyn Nets jersey while driving 76ers point guard Ben Simmons crazy with his strategically irritating antics during the NBA Playoffs. We’ll next see him likely contributing the same way, yet wearing purple and gold this time, traveling coast to coast and joining the Los Angeles Lakers.

Although another 6’7”,  free agent forward from San Diego who also formerly played apart the Eastern Conference certainly remains the focus point for the Lakers right now, Dudley’s signing adds depth to a depleted team following their trade to acquire Anthony Davis. Dudley and the Lakers inked a 1–year $2.6 million dollar deal that pays Dudley at the league minimum, strategically leaving the team with enough cap space to pursue other free agents. Last year, Dudley averaged 4.9–points and 2.6–rebounds per game yet mainly served as a key locker room presence for the young Nets squad last year. Dudley mentioned his valued ability to contribute to a team while as a guest on the Woj Podcast as he stated, “What I am is a high IQ basketball player, I see what the team needs. I’m teaching these young guys. Best believe if someone’s doing something to Anthony Davis or LeBron James I’ll step up, that is my role.”

Although Dudley expressed his enjoyment while playing for the Brooklyn Nets, the journeyman stated that this chance to play for his home town team and join James simply appeared too sweet to pass up. Dudley illustrated his excitement to join the Lakers with multiple tweets after the news broke while also revealing his plans to change his number and wear #3 as a Laker. Dudley also joked with his fans amid his likely limited minutes while playing alongside talents such as James, Davis, and Kyle Kuzma next year by changing his profile picture to one depicting a “big three” of Dudley himself, alongside James and Davis.

Aside from the Nets and Lakers, the Detroit Pistons also expressed interest in signing the 11–year man, however the Lakers managed to lure in Dudley successfully.

During a quick interview with Colin Cowherd on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, the Milwaukee Bucks’ Jared Dudley spoke candidly about how he feels about Kobe Bryant, a player who cannot take his foot off the throttle, and Carmelo Anthony, who he thinks is thoroughly overrated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi1tnG4r024

Jared Dudley on Kobe Bryant

“The way Kobe is, especially getting hurt — even Jordan, if you see Jordan when he played with the Wizards, he started toning it down a little bit, he knew he didn’t have it — Kobe’s the opposite,” Dudley started. “Kobe, he wants to show everyone so much. I mean, I remember seeing Kobe — I think it was like 70 games in — he had outshot the whole Lakers team by like 100 shots. Come on now. We love you, Kobe, but come on. It’s like, it’s now time to start giving it up. I think most guys don’t want to play with him. For the most part, he’s such, like, a huge personality.”

And as a result, Dudley thinks that the Lakers are not going to be good for a few years. And when asked, what if Kevin Love chooses to go to L.A. in the offseason? Dudley would be shocked if he left the best “unselfish” player in Lebron James and the “best facilities” in basketball.

Jared Dudley on Carmelo Anthony

After a brief discussion about James Harding — Dudley feels he is an amazing player that needs to buy into the defense — Cowherd asked him about the most underrated and overrated players in the NBA. As for the former, he chose Zach Randolph because “Zach’s an animal.” And his choice for the most overrated was New York Knick’s Carmelo Anthony.

“The reason why I say Carmelo is because Carmelo is viewed as a top five player… Carmelo, he has the talent to be able to facilitate. The triangle should fit him, where he’s gotta make guys better. And defensively he’s gotta take another step, take the next level up… He’s gotta get out of the first, second round. He’s gotta get his team to the playoffs. [LeBron James], with that roster as bad as it is, LeBron would have got them to the playoffs. They would’ve been at least the eighth seed.”

Now, his answer with Carmelo Anthony is the least surprising ever. While a fantastic athlete and scorer, he has been unable to take the aforementioned next step, which is going deep in the playoffs and winning a championship. And until he brings the Knicks out of their current deficit, he will continue to be looked down upon.

Since then, Dudley appeared on ESPN’s Hahn & Humpty Show, where he somewhat apologized — more clarified — his Carmelo comments.

“You get kind of frustrated at times seeing because of him having to make his other guys better and defensively certain things, but for me to say he’s the most overrated that was wrong for me to say. He’s arguably a top three or four scorer, between him [Kevin Durant] and [Russell Westbrook]. But if you see, that’s not enough in this league. If your a number one guy and you’re a max guy, this is a superstar league, you have to be able to do certain things.”