Getty New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis will probably not join the Los Angeles Lakers via a trade this season says one prominent sports analyst.
WIth the NBA’s February 7th trading deadline rapidly approaching, the AD to LA talks don’t seem to be cooling off any time soon.
Just Friday, a source shared with me that the Lakers will attempt to keep Kyle Kuzma “for dear life,” but that in the end, they’ll deal anyone other than LeBron James.
Another name that’s been hot in trade rumors has been guard Josh Hart, who’s continued to grow as a player and come into his own in Los Angeles.
“Well there’s no way they’re trading him this season. I mean, yeah, I would say 0% chance of that happening. If they abandon, just move the franchise to Seattle if you’re going to trade Anthony Davis mid-season. I mean they would be fools, I don’t think they would do that.”
Although there will obviously be a plethora of interest in Davis should the Pelicans begin taking offers, the Lakers have the assets to make a deal happen. Beyond that, as Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports revealed, Davis made it known that a legacy is more important to him than money at this point.
“I’d take legacy over money,” Davis told Yahoo Sports after posting game highs of 30 points and 20 rebounds to go with five assists in Friday’s loss. “I want to have a legacy. All my people that look up to me, the younger kids, I want them to know about AD’s legacy. Championships, the things I do in the community, being a good teammate, playing hard. All that stuff matters the most to me. Don’t get me wrong, money is amazing. But I think in that sense, money or legacy, I think my legacy will win that battle every time.”
These comments stem from the fact that the Pelicans can offer Davis an extension worth more than any other team. In the upcoming summer, the All-Star forward can ink a deal worth $239,540,000 over five seasons with his current team, per Yahoo Sports.
It’s hard not to view Kuzma and Hart as two incredibly valuable trade pieces at this point. The former is unquestionably more valuable, as he hit the ground running during his rookie season, averaging 16.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. But Kuzma took an even bigger step forward this year so far, averaging 18.8 points and 5.7 rebounds while improving his shooting percentage (47.1 percent).
The production of both players, even with the addition of James to the roster helps showcase their upside and potential. Although Hart hasn’t produced numbers as eye-opening as Kuzma, he’s produced in a variety of areas and has stepped up on both ends of the floor when his number is called.
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Anthony Davis Won’t Join Lakers This Season Says NBA Analyst