Getty LeBron James and Anthony Davis are unlikely to be paired with many rookies next season as the Lakers are without draft picks.
Star New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis is the crown jewel of this offseason’s trade market. The Los Angeles Lakers have been extremely public frontrunners in the Davis trade talks since it was publicly announced that Davis wanted to leave back in January.
Especially in the wake of an extremely unfortunate Kevin Durant injury, the Western Conference is wide open and the Lakers have an opportunity to trade for an elite player and insert themselves into the top tier of contenders in the conference. With LeBron James already in place as well as appealing young assets, cap space, and a top-shelf draft pick, the Lakers are primed to make a big splash to return to relevance this summer.
Anthony Davis Should ‘Really Want’ to Join Lakers Post-KD Injury, Says Analyst
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst goes on to say that not only should Anthony Davis consider the Lakers as a long-term option but that he should ‘really want’ to join the Lakers given the circumstances.
However, Windhorst would go on to say that rarely do disgruntled superstars looking for a trade get exactly what they want. A prime example of this is the Paul George scenario. When Paul George wanted out in Indiana, it was widely assumed that the Lakers were his top preferred destination. In fact, the Lakers were so confident in their ability to eventually land George in free agency (for no assets) that they refused to engage in serious trade talks and George was eventually sent to the Thunder. The rest is history as George fell in love with Oklahoma City and his public claims of wanting to join the Lakers went up in flames.
While Rich Paul has been adamant that regardless of where Davis winds up he is hitting free agency, a more likely option is that this is a posturing move on behalf of Klutch and Davis in order to help the Lakers hold onto as many assets as possible in a trade situation. By coming out and saying that no team has a long-term advantage to signing Davis, Paul is effectively watering down the trade market and handicapping the Pelicans’ leverage in trade talks.
Kevin Durant Injury Updates
Speaking of Kevin Durant, not much new information has come out regarding the MRI on his knee (at the time of this writing).
However, going off the school of armchair orthopedic surgeons (and coming from a man who has torn/broken more things in his body than you can count), it seems that Durant sustained an extremely serious Achilles’ injury. The Warriors have already announced that the injury is an Achilles’ injury to some extent, however, the slow-motion video reveals what looks to be a significant “pop” in Durant’s lower calf/Achilles’ region – usually an indicator of a rupture or tear.
While we await the official confirmation from Durant’s MRI, it seems most likely that the world’s best offensive basketball player is going to be on the shelf for the entirety of next season.