Getty Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis.
Things aren’t right with the Los Angeles Lakers right now. The team has dropped to 2-10 and is tied with the Houston Rockets for the worst record in the NBA. The roster as currently constructed isn’t going to win a lot of games this season.
Anthony Davis has only missed one game this season and is playing at an All-Star level. However, he hasn’t looked like a top-10 NBA player since the Lakers’ championship run in 2020. Considering his injury history and declining play, Los Angeles may want to consider moving on from him before he losses all value.
The Lakers really need shooting right now and somebody who can lead the team to some wins when LeBron James can’t play. Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard has been a player that fans have wanted in Los Angeles for years. Fox Sports NBA insider Chris Broussard believes that swapping Davis for Lillard outright would make sense for both sides.
“I would trade — I actually like this for both teams,” Broussard said. “And it’s been floated out there before. Anthony Davis for Damian Lillard, straight up.”
Damian Lillard for Anthony Davis?
Kyrie, Ben Simmons & Joe Harris for AD & Russ?
— @Chris_Broussard on why the Lakers should start making calls to trade AD:
Would Lillard Want This Trade to Happen?
Lillard is three years older than Davis and coming off of an injury-plagued season. Though Davis hasn’t been playing his best basketball, the Trail Blazers could like the idea of bringing in an elite defensive player who is younger than Lillard. However, Portland is off to a great start to the season with a 9-3 record. They aren’t going to trade their best player right now and he’s not going to force his way out while they’re playing well.
Now, if the season starts to go off the rails for the Trail Balzers, then perhaps it could be time to explore this trade. Lillard brings the scoring and shooting that the Lakers have been needing. Portland has never been able to get over the hump with Lillard. Things look great right now but it’s still difficult to imagine that the team has enough to seriously compete for a championship. The problem for the Lakers is that adding the six-time All-Star probably isn’t enough for them to compete. This trade isn’t going to happen this season but it could be an interesting idea once the season ends if both teams don’t get close to a championship.
Davis Not on Trade Block, per Insider
This isn’t the first time that Davis’ name has been mentioned as a trade piece. However, the Lakers gave up a historic amount to get him. There’s no way they will come close to recouping the value they gave up to get him. Lillard is great but he’s older, smaller and is not a two-way player. At his best, Davis is a top-five player in the world. The Lakers know this and aren’t really considering trading him yet, per Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.
“And while it’s been a talking point on social media, the Lakers are not considering trading Davis, according to sources,” Haynes wrote. “For any dialogue of that nature to occur, his agent, Rich Paul, would have received calls from interested teams inquiring if Davis would agree to an extension if they traded for him. Those conversations have not taken place, sources say.”