Getty Anthony Davis and LeBron James
While there have been a number of potential rumors and suggestions on how a Los Angeles Lakers trade for Anthony Davis could look, one of them should not feature LeBron James. It appears likely the Pelicans will still move Davis this offseason, but the idea that the Lakers would choose to send LeBron packing to make it happen simply makes no sense.
But when Michael Rapaport joined FS1’s Undisputed, he decided to run with it regardless. As FOX Sports revealed, Rapaport said to “not be surprised if the Lakers trade LeBron James” to New Orleans.
“They might say, ok, you want him [Anthony Davis] in L.A.? You’re going to New Orleans, LeBron James. Do not be surprised if they trade LeBron James, they have two more years that are guaranteed, it is obviously a circus. Some of it’s LeBron, some of it is Jeanie Buss and Linda Rambis.” Rapaport said on Undisputed.
Rapaport then turned to Shannon Sharpe to let him know that his “friend” could be heading to the Pelicans, doubling down on his comments, per FOX Sports.
“Your friend, LeBron James … he might wind up getting traded to the New Orleans Pelicans, and you heard it here first,” Rapaport stated.
Anthony Davis for LeBron James Trade Makes No Sense for Lakers
While the idea of a Davis for James trade may make sense on paper, as it accomplishes the task of getting the star forward to Los Angeles. It also sends LeBron out of town, something which a select number of fans may hope to see happen, but wouldn’t be a wise move here. It’s a plan that would almost certainly end poorly for the Lakers.
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Davis may want to land with the Lakers currently, but it’s at least partially due to the fact that he wants to play with James. If the team were to move the future Hall-of-Famer, what are the realistic chances they re-sign Davis next offseason when he can opt out of his deal and head to free agency?
Assuming the current Pelicans star is serious about winning and contending for a championship moving forward in his career, it’s highly likely that he would leave Los Angeles and team up with a star next offseason. In turn, instead of having James for two more years (guaranteed), the Lakers would potentially be renting Davis for one year.
From that point, Rob Pelinka and company would begin the recruitment process from step one all over again, something Lakers fans surely don’t want to go through.
Pelicans Not Interested in Trading Anthony Davis to Lakers
Although the outlook would surely change if the Lakers included LeBron in a potential trade, the Pelicans have been adamant about not trading Davis to them. That appears to remain true as of the NBA Draft Lottery when ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said as much during a segment on The Jump, via Chris Montano of Def Pen Hoops.
“From what I understand, the Pelicans are not interested in making a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. Maybe had they gotten the filet mignon, the Zion pick.” Windhorst said.
Whether this remains as the case throughout the offseason is a big question, but for now, the Lakers may want to shift their attention to free agency and away from Davis. That’s not to say they shouldn’t put their best offer on the table, but the Pelicans don’t appear to have interest in making life any easier for the Lakers during trade talks.
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